The financial aid process is often considered overwhelming. And while that may be the case, starting early and staying on top of the process of planning for college is essential to your future success. We can’t remind students enough, when preparing for college, the importance of applying early and applying often for financial aid opportunities. Much of that funding is already distributed by the end of your senior year, and college-based awards are often given on a first-come, first-served basis. You don’t want to find out too late in the process that you won’t be able to attend your top school because you missed a financial aid deadline and as a result won’t be able to afford that long-anticipated freshman year. So, whether you’re a student or a parent, the following timelines will keep you on track and in the know throughout high school.
ADVERTISEMENT |
|
Latest College & Financial Aid NewsMore Schools Adopting Test-Optional Merit AidMarch 2, 2021 by Izzy Hall Back in September, a few colleges who had already adopted a test-optional policy for the current admissions cycle announced that they would be awarding merit scholarships without the need for applicants to submit test scores. Since then, more and more colleges and universities have quietly adopted test-optional merit aid policies to complement their currently test-optional admissions. [...] Avoid Student Debt at Colleges with No Student LoansFebruary 25, 2021 by Izzy Hall Here at Scholarships.com, we connect students with scholarships that can help alleviate the amount of student loans they need to take out to pay for college. But there are colleges out there that offer students such generous financial aid packages that they need to take out very little in loans if at all. These “no student loans” colleges replace student loans in financial aid packages with additional scholarships and grants to help fund a student’s tuition. Students accepted into these schools will pay much less than the cost of tuition and thus will not be as burdened with student debt. [...] Test-Optional Policies Drive Increase in College ApplicationsFebruary 23, 2021 by Izzy Hall Well-known and selective colleges such as the University of Virginia, Harvard and the University of California at Berkeley are seeing a spike in college applications due to their adoption of test-optional admissions for the 2021 admissions cycle. These record increases have led some schools to announce an extension of test-optional admissions into future years. [...] |