If you’ve been accepted to the school of your choice for the fall, and you’ve submitted your 2008-2009 FAFSA, there are a few quick, simple things you can do now to make sure your financial aid is on its way.

First, contact the school’s financial aid office. Every school should have a financial aid representative that you can speak to. While it isn’t always good to rely on these people as a sole source of information, they are an invaluable resource. Each school administers financial aid just a little differently; so there are details you can only get from them. You might start by asking if the school has received your FAFSA information, how and when you will be receiving your award letter, and if there are any additional documents the school needs from you before that can happen.

Next, make sure you are keeping an eye on your mail and the email account your school uses to communicate with you. Anything that comes to you from your school’s financial aid office you should open immediately. Pay particular attention to any dates, deadlines, or time frames that are stated.

With these two steps taken, you should be feeling more confident about the financial aid awarding process. Between now and when your award letter arrives would be a great time to turn your attention toward scholarships. Remember that scholarships – free money based on merit – most always have to be applied for separately from anything else. If you haven’t started researching scholarships yet, now is the time. If you have, you should follow up on applications you’ve filled out and try researching to find more.



Categories: General