Houston FAFSA Day will help you tap into vast college financial aid resources

The cost of attending college these days can be staggering. We’ve all heard the tales of crushing student loan debt being incurred by those seeking higher learning. You may know young people who have put their educations on hold to work and save money to move forward. Paying for school can be tough going.

What’s surprising is how many students don’t know about the vast amounts of financial aid available to them – the largest being the U.S. government. It gives out more than $150 billion each year in the form of outright grants, loans, and money for work-study programs that allow student to make money while still making an education their top priority.

We at HISD are making sure our students and their families know about these resources by having every high school participate in Houston FAFSA Day next Thursday, Feb. 20. FAFSA stands for “Free Application for Federal Student Aid,” and during the day, each campus will have special programs to create awareness of how filling out this one simple application can make going to college a reality.

That evening, from 6-8 p.m. at each school, staff and volunteers will be on hand to help seniors and parents complete the form. You’ll need to come prepared, and by going to http://houstonfafsaday.org/, you can find out the information and documents you should bring.

Three hints:
• Nowhere on the FAFSA are you asked for your grade point average, SAT score, or other academic measurement. That’s because they aren’t used in determining your eligibility for financial aid – only factors such as family income and any other resources are evaluated.
• Even though the FAFSA is for seniors, it’s not too early for any high school student and family to think ahead to how they’re going to pay for college. Some of our schools will be providing financial planning, and you can always go to the FAFSA4caster at https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/f4cForm?execution=e1s1 to estimate your eligibility for financial aid and to get tips on paying for college.
• Many colleges and universities use the FAFSA to determine their own financial aid awards. Once you’ve submitted it, they can access it with your permission, and you won’t have to worry about more applications.

Seeking financial aid can be a little daunting, to be sure, but we’re sure your campus FAFSA Day will help demystify the process and make you see how a college education is possible.