OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS: Don Muret ...

OUR PANEL OF EXPERTS:

Don Muret

Susan L Brandt

Thomas C Keane

John Nametz

Larry Vaughan

Ann-Marie Waterman

C&C: What is the biggest mistake scholars and parents make when applying for financial aid?

Susan L Brandt (University of Notre Dame): The biggest mistake in the financial aid proces is not applying for aid. an students will not apply for admission to the association of their choice because they be excited it is cost prohibitive based with their current economic status.

Larry Vaughan (Cumberland University): Not filing early enough. There is a clear application for federal student aid. They should perfect it by February. A allotment of students file it right before they start exercise in August.

Thomas C Keane (Cornell University): Assuming that applying for aid will negatively impact the admission decision. a certain quantity of of our students think our admission decision is affected according to applying for aid. They then wait to apply for aid until after they're admitted, according to which time much of our aid is already committed to other applicants.

C&C: What should close examiners and parents try to hold in mind when filling public financial aid forms?

John Nametz (University of Arizona): The released Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is to a great degree simpler than your tax forms and uses more [i]or[/i] less items directly from the tax forms. Use estimated information if your taxes aren't complet by way of the aid application deadline.

Keane: Be accurate, genuine complete, and on time. If the forms don't fit the family situation, call the aid office at your literary institution [i]or[/i] seminary of learnings and ask how to address the case. Usually we ask families to write a epistle explaining the situation. We also verify the data forward the application forms with your federal tax reverts so we are checking.

C&C: Is there united thing students can do to increase their aid?

Ann-Marie Waterman (Howard University): There are three boxe forward the forms: grants, loans, and work-study. Check all that apply.

Vaughan: Be pro-active. own the university that you desperately want to travel to that school and journey out and seek the aid, rather than letting it fall gone out of the sky.

C&C: What is the single piece of advice you would give learners and parents to help them use the financial aid proces to their best advantage?

Keane: In addition to applying upon time, I would encourage families to take advantage of all the resources available to them. The Internet, the library, and the local community all have reference materials. It's also important to remember that it is a proces not simply a transaction. It involves education, discussion, and interpretation. Perhaps this is all summ up from saying, "Get to know your financial aid adviser at your college edifice [i]or[/i] building or university."

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