College success doesn’t always mean earning good grades and attending classes. For some, it means having the money to pay for the costs associated with going to college: tuition, supplies, books, housing, etc. Essentially, you’re paying for a good education. We’ve talked a little about financial aid this month, so let’s talk a little more about how it can affect your ability to pay for college.
According to an article in the Wall Street Journal, you can maximize your financial aid by getting in early. The old adage “the early bird gets the worm” applies greatly in this instance. Need and merit-based aid is often given to those that apply early. There are a few options for early application for financial aid.
One option is early admission. Colleges that have an early admissions process have even earlier financial aid deadlines, which means that many students miss these deadlines and miss out on the financial aid they can offer.
Another option is early action. This means that a student can pick multiple schools and compare their financial aid offers without committing to one school or another. This can be prudent, especially when it comes to need-based aid. A complete list of early action schools can be found through this link.
On the other hand, there is early decision, which means that you must attend if you apply and are accepted. In the circumstances that the college cannot meet your need for financial, you can turn down an early decision school, but it’s not an easy process and you could end up missing other deadlines in the meantime. You can find a complete list of early decision schools here.
Come back to the Future Institute Blog for more advice, tips, and tricks to help you get through college!