Scholarships

As you all should know by now, college is EXPENSIVE! How are you going to pay then? With scholarships of course! Scholarships are extremely important when you go to college and they can save you a lot of money.

There are tons of scholarship opportunities out there and luckily, sites such as the Tempe Union website and CollegeBoard have complied easy to look through lists.

Although there are a lot of opportunities out there, they are no good if you don't go for them. You're going to regret waiting until the end of you senior year to look for scholarships. Instead, start your scholarship search during the second semester of your junior year, and continue on through senior year.

We have found the Tempe Union District scholarship website to be the most helpful. Check it out at the following web address:

https://www.tuhsd.k12.az.us/view.php?page=55,82&tuhsdgroup=2

Here are some other sites to help you with your search:

Fastweb
http://www.fastweb.com/

Princeton Review
http://www.princetonreview.com/college/finance/

CollegeBoard
http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/servlet/scholarshipsearchservlet?SS_ACTION=DB_SEARCH&pageIndex=0

CollegeNet
http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/app

College Scholarships, College, and Online Degrees
http://college-scholarships.com/

Take a few minutes to look around them. Maybe you'll find a scholarship that suits you. And remember, these are by no means, the only opportunities.

CSS Profile

The CSS Profile is an application that is similar to the FAFSA that is produced by the College Board. The major differences:

1. FAFSA is free. The CSS Profile is not.
2. The CSS Profile is more detailed, which is why some colleges request it.
3. The FAFSA must be filled out after January 1st, while the CSS Profile can be submitted before then. (This point, however, is presently irrelevant.

You can complete the CSS Profile online at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp.

Tips to Avoid Making Common FAFSA Mistakes

As much as possible, you should try to avoid making mistakes on your FAFSA, for they can delay the application process by up to 2-3 weeks. The following is a partial list of ways in which you can prevent that from happening to you:

1. Do not use your nickname instead of your legal name.
2. Do not leave any field blank. Use a zero if the question does not apply to you.
3. Report all required sources of untaxed income.
4. Include yourself in household size, even if you did not live there the previous year.
5. Do not forget to sign the application. If you are filing as a dependent, make sure your parents sign too.

Visit the following websites for more detailed information regarding FAFSA mistakes:
http://www.finaid.org/fafsa/errors.phtml
http://www.fastweb.com/fastweb/resources/articles/index/102183

The FAFSA: An Introduction

Now that the college application process is mostly over, this is the time to start securing scholarships and financial aid. The FAFSA is a major component of that process.

What is the FAFSA?
The purpose of the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Financial Aid) is to determine how much your family can pay to support your college education.

Why should I fill out the FAFSA?
Most schools require it in order to determine your demonstrated financial need -that is, how much money you need in order to attend. Thus, if you want any sort of financial aid, you most likely need to fill out the FAFSA.

When should I fill out the FAFSA?
In order to receive the best financial aid award possible, you should fill out the FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1, 2008. This is because most colleges and universities award aid on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you apply too late, there may be less aid money available.

If you want to actually fill out the FAFSA, or just want more information, visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/