FAFSA Preview

“How am I gonna afford college?”, “how am I gonna pay for college?” These are many questions students and parents ask about college. But students could get a loan from the federal government with FAFSA (free application for federal student aid). The FAFSA Frenzy is right around the corner on Monday, October 15th from 5-7pm at Battle.

The FAFSA program is not a scholarship and is a loan, but is more lenient than a bank loan. The FAFSA Frenzy is for students and their parents/guardians to get help to fill out the application.

Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA) is not a scholarship though, it’s a loan like one you would get from the bank. According to Simple Education, it’s federal aid that can also help you receive state and college-sponsored financial aid.

Jordan Smith, who teaches senior English, said, “FAFSA is something most people can get depending on the income of your household and the income of your guardian. All you have to do is apply and its a loan with some interest. But a scholarship is something you apply for based on your merit, academics, involvement with extra circular, athletics, unique aspects of your identity. But scholarships has parameters like maintaining a good GPA, behavior, getting to class on time.”  

What is the difference between FAFSA and a college loan you would get from the bank? According to Mr. Smith. “FAFSA is specifically designed for college and there is a lot more leniency with when you have to start paying it back, and could be how much interest you have, and how much money you can borrow and is easier to get money through FAFSA than a bank. With a bank it would be a straight up loan and would have to pay back immediately. While with FAFSA you don’t have to pay it back immediately and you can finish college, into the workplace and pay your loan back.”

Battle students do use the FAFSA program and are encouraged to use it to, according to Leigh Spence, head of guidance, who said, “We encourage them and their parent to complete the FAFSA. The purpose of it’s too possibly access money from the federal government, to help pay for college, and how students get low interest student loans to help them go to college. And we also encourage students to do it for the A+ program and they need to complete the FAFSA to be able to access their A+ money for college.”

According to Spence around 80% of last years class went to college, and around 70% of that 80% went to college completed the FAFSA application.

What is the big difference between FAFSA and A+ programs, which both give money to students to. According to Spence, “They are two funding streams, FAFSA is from the national government. Then A+ provides state money for kids to go to school. In order for kids to earn the state money, they first have to use up all of their money they would get from the federal government.”

Students can find more about FAFSA through AVID. X’Zaviaun Conson, who is applying for FAFSA and in AVID 12, said,  “The main way I discovered it was from AVID which helps you set up a prepare for college and to understand what steps you can take to advance how far you go in college, and increase your chance of getting into college.”

According to Conson the application process “takes dedication and is not that hard, and as long as your not slacking off and waiting till the last second. If you wait till the last second, then it becomes hard because you have to give a lot of personal information.”

Conson recommends finding scholarship instead of loans. “It does not concern me a whole lot because the teachers right now in my senior year been telling me and stressing me how many scholarships there are in the world, like for being left handed, or not having 20/20 vision,” Conson said.

For more information go to FAFSA Frenzy on Monday, October 15 in the media center..