Vicki L. Beam:
Nov. 22—Many high school seniors have started to receive their college acceptance letters — congratulations to those who have been accepted to their top school of choice. We have been receiving lots of questions from families. Here is a list of answers to the most common questions we hear.
"I've received my acceptance letter, but there is no mention about the financial aid that I am going to receive. When will I get that?" The financial aid process starts with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). For the 2024-2025 school year, the FAFSA has been completely redone and will be open for applications sometime in December. FAFSA is normally open Oct. 1, and will go back to that date next year. We do not know the official open date at this time; the government simply says by Dec. 31, 2023.
"With the change in FAFSA, when will I learn about my financial aid offer?" Colleges have told us they will be working on it as soon as possible, but caution that most financial aid offices are closed during the Christmas break. Michigan College Planning believes you won't be informed of your offer until late January at the earliest. Keep in mind you have until May 1 to make your decision.
"Can I do anything now to be prepared for FAFSA?" You can go to https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch to create your username and password. One parent will also need login credentials to complete the FAFSA. Parents who have completed FAFSA in the past can use the same login. Now is a great time to make sure you remember the username and password.
"What if I am waitlisted or deferred from my top choice?" Make sure that you stay in contact with the admissions staff. Verify with them that it is still your school of choice and provide any new information that was not on your application to help them make the decision. That may include a new award you received, a new position you have taken, a new job or updated grades when you receive them in January.
"How do I find scholarships to apply for?" There are many websites that help you get matched to scholarships, including fastweb.com, Unigo.com, collegeboard.org, myscholly.com, petersons.com, scholarshipowl.com, scholarships.com and collegeexpress.com. You should develop a profile at several of them and be very detailed about your personal data. Make sure to visit the counselor's office to get information on local scholarships. The Grand Traverse Regional Community Foundation scholarship pool will open up sometime in January. Visit www.gtrcf.org for more information.
"Is there anything I should be doing with the school I plan to attend?" Get signed up for a student portal as soon as possible. Most communication after acceptance will be through email and the portal. Many schools have accepted student events that will help you verify this is the school that fits for you. There are also scholarship opportunities that are only accessible once you have been accepted. Most schools will have a deposit requirement for attendance. Putting down the deposit puts you on the list for housing as well as orientation.
Take advantage of Michigan College Planning's College Planning workshops to learn more about how to reduce stress, save time and potentially money during the college planning process. Visit www.michigancollegeplanning.com for details. The last workshop for 2023 will be held at Elk Rapids High School on Nov. 28 at 6 p.m. The workshops are informative and include steps you can take right now to assure you understand the cost of attendance and how you can afford college. If you are unable to attend a workshop, feel free to call Michigan College Planning with your questions.
In the meantime, we have put together other resources to help families. Contact our office for more details or with questions.
Vicki L. Beam is a college planner at Michigan College Planning in Traverse City. She encourages questions and comments about future columns. Contact Michigan College Planning at (231) 947-0203, vicki@michigancollegeplanning.com or through www.michigancollegeplanning.com.
