Hi all! Happy (almost) Valentine’s day. So you’ve finally gotten the chance to really sit down and take in all of the financial aid details, the process, all of that. But maybe you find that you are still a little bit stuck? Lucky for you, we at Go Financial Aid loves to help people just like you find ways to better understand the financial aid process, as well as helping to get you the most aid possible. Today, let’s take a few minutes and talk about one good way of obtaining the information and help that you need: financial aid workshops.
Financial aid workshops are reasonably brief (a few hours at most) lessons for parents and families on the ins and outs of financial aid for college. These classes come in a few forms: virtual workshop and standard sit-in sessions.
The Virtual Workshop
Attending a financial aid class in a virtual setting essentially means that you will be at your own personal computer, chatting online with a financial aid expert about the finer points of financial aid. Go Financial Aid has an excellent virtual workshop service conducted by qualified financial aid consultants. For specific information, fill out our contact form and we'll keep you posted on the next session.
The Sit-in Workshop
As you may have guessed by the name, this is a class that participants physically go to, and hear firsthand the information they need to accurately apply for financial aid. Many colleges hold such programs to assist families during the application process. A few upcoming classes include the following:
- University of Texas at El Paso-February 14, February 21, February 28
- Gannon University (Erie, PA)- February 16
- Walla Walla University (held at Upper Columbia Academy, WA)- February 18
- Berkeley City College (Berkeley, CA)- February 22 and March 6
Now that you know where to find these financial workshops, take a look at what you can learn from them…
Basic financial aid types
- Loans- Federal vs. private
- Grants- Federal vs. organization-sponsored
- Scholarships- Academic, athletic, sponsored, essay-based, etc.
- Work study- How to get involved and eligibility
Application completion
- Information to help you understand the FAFSA– What it is, why it’s important, etc.
- Where to find and complete the FAFSA –web-based vs. paper application
- Necessary info for the application–Personal and financial information to include
- Deadlines–FAFSA start date, FAFSA end date, individual university deadlines
- Mistakes to avoid
What you pay for college
- Cost of attendance vs. Expected Family Contribution
- How your family’s financial situation impacts financial aid amounts
Attending a financial aid workshop can be extremely beneficial, not only to the family members in charge of funding college education, but definitely for the students themselves in terms of becoming educated about their responsibilities during (i.e. maintaining grade levels to receive grants and scholarships) and after school (i.e. loan repayment). It is important to realize that help in wading the financial aid waters is readily available, and that schools want to see you succeed! Take these tips and check with your school about financial aid help, and visit Go Financial Aid’s solutions center for more helpful information.
