Money Doesn’t Grow on Trees!

It is usually about this time of year, as college acceptances start arriving, that the realities of financing a college education truly begin to settle in.  Even for families who have planned ahead and are fortunate enough to have some money saved toward college, every bit of extra financial assistance is appreciated. Ideally, scholarship searches start much earlier than February of senior year, but it’s not too late. (BTW, it isn’t too early, either – looking at you, 9th graders!) Yes, there are many scholarships open to students throughout all four years of high school (see the Courageous Persuaders Video Scholarship, for example), but finding and filtering scholarships can be overwhelming. Just check out this list of scholarships with February deadlines, published by SCHOLARSHIPS.COM!  Finding scholarships, managing scholarship applications and deadlines, and understanding how outside scholarships impact financial aid awards are just a few ways ARC assists families.  Let’s face it, college is expensive! If you’re concerned about college expenses, ARC can answer your questions and help you get a plan in place that best fits your family budget. You may even find some money you did not even know was available, but you have to be willing to put in the work – money doesn’t grow on trees!

Thanksgiving Is Almost Here, But First, FAFSA!

That’s right, before digging into the Turkey and ALL.THE.SIDES, and slipping into a tryptophan-laced carbcoma, make sure your FAFSA is complete.  Why?  Because deadlines.  Many students believe there is only one deadline for FAFSA, but that belief can cause students to miss out on receiving funds!  Actually, there are three deadlines to consider when filing FAFSA, and students should file by the earliest deadline.

School Deadline:  this varies by school, and some schools begin allocating aid as soon as applications are received, so the sooner your application is submitted, the better.  Some schools have FAFSA deadlines as early as their priority application deadlines.

State Deadline: each state sets its own deadline, and some say to submit ASAP.  For example, in North Carolina, “awards are made until funds are depleted.”   Find your state’s deadline.

Federal Deadline: likely the latest deadline, but an important one. If you miss this deadline, you are no longer eligible to submit that year’s FAFSA, meaning schools may not be able to award any money, even if your financial circumstances have changed.

To complete you FAFSA, choose one of the following: Online, Android, Apple,

From ARC Education Planning,

Safe travels, enjoy the holiday, and give thanks for all your blessings…

The Value of College Consultants

“ROI” is mentioned in college information sessions quite a bit these days, but what about when considering a college consultant? How do you know what to expect for your money, what potential savings can a consultant help you realize, is your investment “worth it?” Families choose to work with a college consultant for many reasons, and each student’s process is unique. It’s important for families to define their expectations and understand how a consultant might help them as a first step. Take a few moments to watch this video produced by IECA, an international organization of professional consultants. It provides insight to potential benefits so you can begin the college planning process with confidence. If you’re interested in learning more, contact ARC Education Planning. Let’s get started!

College Admissions Help from IECA on Vimeo.

Show Me The Money!

dollar-17527_1280

Summer seems to be the time of year when rising seniors begin to realize the expense of a college education. And with the extra free time summer affords them, many use the opportunity to search scholarship sites. This can be beneficial but overwhelming, and there are certainly traps for stealing personal information, so students and their families need to be savvy consumers. Know the signs of scholarship scams (having to pay to “enter” the scholarship pool is just one of many), and protect your identity as much as possible! I always recommend starting scholarship searches at the schools where you intend to apply. That can be your best bet for aid, assuming you’re a strong applicant. However, many families want to explore further options. Check with your counselor about local scholarships, and then consider casting a wider net. Here are a few of my personal favorite scholarship resources to get you going.  Happy searching!

Scholarship sites you may find interesting:

weirdscholarships.com

raise.me

myscholly.com (also has an app)

Reliable search engines for scholarships on the web: 

finaid.com

fastweb.com

cfnc.org

bigfuture.collegeboard.org

scholarships.com

unigo.com

https://www.goodcall.com