The February 7-8 Wall Street Journal Sunday Tip of the Week is very timely! For SOME state colleges/universities, the financial aid deadline is February 15. It IS easier to apply for financial aid once your tax returns are done, but it is NOT good to wait for tax returns if that means you miss the application deadline. CHECK NOW on your deadlines.
You can still submit your Free Application for Federal Aid (FAFSA) application on line with estimated numbers and update later. You should also have your driver’s license, bank statements, and investment records for your application which you can get NOW. Use the worksheets at the FAFSA site to help you with the application and to estimate the amount of aid you might get.
Hint: If you have a personal identification number (PIN), it actually speeds up the filing process. Both parents and students can get their PINs at www.pin.ed.gov.
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NEWS! CollegeBasics now has a new e-book The Basics for Writing College Application Essays: Simple How-to Steps for Writing All College Essays from the Personal Statement to the Short Activity Essay that outlines every aspect of writing the college application essay. This book explains how to write different kinds of application essays from the short activity essay to the personal statement to scholarship essays and more and offers samples of essays and essay edits. This book can really help you.
