GILROY
– Procrastination for many high school seniors is a way of life.
For those students planning on attending college in the fall, today
is crunch time if they are expecting to attend college in the
fall.
GILROY – Procrastination for many high school seniors is a way of life. For those students planning on attending college in the fall, today is crunch time if they are expecting to attend college in the fall.
The deadline for applying for Cal Grants and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid is Tuesday. Technically, FAFSA can still be sent in or completed online after March 2, but will be awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis, said Sylvia Rabago, an academic coordinator in GHS’ College and Career Center.
Rabago said procrastination is not as big a problem this year as it has been in the past, because visits to every senior classroom in December alerted students early on that important deadlines were looming.
“We went to all the senior classes and gave the students the online application and had them apply,” Rabago said. “It’s pretty balanced.”
Still, Rabago said her number one concern for future college students is procrastination and neglecting to fill out financial aid applications. Some students say they put it off because their parents have not yet filed their taxes.
The problem is moot, however, because the FAFSA application has a check box where students can indicate that their parents’ taxes will be filed at a later date.
Other students think their parents’ income bracket is too high for them to qualify for any federal or state aid.
Cal Grants are awarded based on income level and the student’s high school grade point average.
“The important thing for all families to know is that if you’re going to need a loan, you have to go through FAFSA,” Rabago said. “You want to do it anyway, even if you think your parents make too much money.”
By applying through the federal program, students who don’t qualify for a grant can obtain a loan with a much lower interest rate than they would receive through a private creditor, and there is a six-month grace period after graduation before payments must be made.
Also, students may be eligible under FAFSA for aid in the form of work study.
Some students have unintentionally disqualified themselves for grants because their income is included in their parents’ tax return, so Rabago recommends that working students file their own taxes.
One final tip Rabago offers for last-minute filers is to list all potential school choices on the financial aid applications, even if he or she hasn’t decided where they want to go.
“Don’t be afraid to list more than one,” Rabago said. “Because even if you don’t go, it’s not a problem. They will send (the information) there, and it’s better to be prepared than to try to get it to them later.”
