Spring and Summer Reminders

The school year is winding down and summer is almost upon us. I know that this time of year can be a stressful time for all high school students but it can be especially stressful for seniors. There may be a lot of decisions yet to be made and deadlines to meet. It can be especially stressful if students have gotten a late start on the college planning process. I thought I would offer a few tips and things to be aware of as you prepare yourselves for attending college next fall.

First of all, if you haven’t applied for financial aid yet for next fall, you really need to do that ASAP! Most financial aid priority application dates have passed, and students should apply early to be considered for priority financial aid. It is not too late to apply; however, you really need to get your FAFSA submitted TODAY so that the colleges can tell you what you qualify for as far as financial aid (via a financial aid award letter).

Also, if you haven’t applied for admission to the colleges you are considering, you should do that ASAP as well! Many colleges do not send award letters to students until they have been admitted.

If you have already done the tasks I mentioned above, you should be receiving an award letter notification from the college or colleges you are considering. If you have not heard from the college, please remember to check your college email!! Most colleges communicate with students via their college email account. I have heard many stories of students that have not heard from the college, then they check their college email account only to find about 5 emails with important information.

Don’t forget to complete any college scholarship applications! Some of the deadlines may have already passed, however, you can still submit the applications. Be sure to read the directions!

Once you have decided where to attend college, the next step is to sign up for a summer orientation, the earlier the better! I recently heard from a college that in order to be considered for their institutional scholarships for this fall, not only does their scholarship application need to be completed by March 1st, but students also have to attend an orientation session and get registered for their fall classes by May 1st! That means that for all students who register after May 1st at that college, they will not be considered for any institutional scholarships! That delay could cost the student lots of free money..

As I mentioned before, spring can be a stressful time of year. ICAN can help you relieve some of your stress by guiding you through the process and answering your questions. If you need help applying for financial aid, interpreting your award letters, or figuring out how to pay for college, please contact us at 877-272-4692 or go to our website, www.icansucceed.org to make an appointment.

John - ICAN Waterloo and Hiawatha Centers