The prospect of college can be a very exciting as well as a little scary. Your life is about to change dramatically, in many ways. Soon you’ll be attending a university, living on campus, and taking classes that will actually lead to your future career! It seems anticlimactic that your preparation consists mostly of tedious applications and almost endless research. While it can be frustrating to spend so much time and effort on such brain numbing tasks, persistence and follow-up can ensure that you get into the school that is the best fit for you, and obtain all of the financial aid that you deserve.
You’ve put the time in. There were the hours spent researching and applying to scholarships, writing essays, and gathering references. You’ve spent your time investigating schools, finding the ones that you feel would be the best fit for you. Finally, you’ve worked to complete your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), reviewed it for accuracy, and it has been sent off to your school choices. Once your schools receive your FAFSA report, they will begin their process of determining what financial aid you are entitled to. The report helps the school determine the Federal financial aid you can be awarded, but it also is often used for other types of grants and loans that the school may offer.
Now is not the time to rest. Once you have been informed that your FAFSA is complete, and you have reviewed your Student Aid Report (SAR) and made any necessary corrections or changes, then your FAFSA information will be sent to the schools you have listed in your application. Now it’s important to follow up.
Check with each school where you have applied to make sure they have received your application. While most of the time a school receives your FAFSA report without a problem, it would be very unfortunate if you were denied admission into one of your top school choices because the school never received it. If it hasn’t been received, most of the time either you or the school can work with FAFSA to make sure it is sent to the school.
Once you have confirmed that the FAFSA report has been received, you can ask the school if there is any other information they need from you and inquire when you could expect to receive an awards letter. This does a couple of things. First, it gives you a timeframe for when you can expect to know how much financial aid you will receive. Second, it leaves a good impression with the school. You show that you are a proactive student who is deeply committed to your education, and it expresses your desire to attend the school. Following up is essential. Being proactive will put you a step ahead of those who simply wait to hear from their school, and help you avoid an unexpected setback.
