Page 40 - UMKC Parent and Family Insider

FINANCIAL AID AND
SCHOLARSHIPS —
KEEP APPLYING!
By Suzanne Shaffer
Higher education is expensive. How can families control costs?
ffApply for financial aid.
Every college student should apply for financial aid. Even if they didn’t apply last year, they should apply this year. Always complete the FAFSA. First-year students who were awarded financial aid must re- apply each year.
If your student applied last year and didn’t receive any aid, apply again. Their academic record could qualify them for college scholarships and grants. Another reason to apply is if your family financial situation has changed: loss of job, care of an elderly parent, a second child in college, or a change in income.
The FAFSA is now available on October 1st, and collects “prior prior year” tax information, which makes it easier than ever to apply for/renew financial aid.
Explore scholarship opportunities.
Scholarships and merit aid are the best ways to control tuition costs. This is free money your student never has to repay.
If your student received merit aid in the form of grants and scholarships from
the college (rather than the federal government), it may not be renewable. College-sponsored scholarships often have GPA or credit hour requirements. Review last year’s financial aid award. It should list requirements and guidelines for renewal.
Your student should do some research on the college website for major- specific scholarships or scholarships for upper-level students, then review the requirements and application deadline. These scholarships could help pay for next year’s tuition!
Every student should keep searching
for outside scholarships during college. There are many available — leave no stone unturned! Search within your major. Search locally. Search online using social media. Do a Google search with specifics in mind, such as “scholarships for liberal arts students.” Use popular scholarship search engines like Scholarships.com, MyScholly, Scholarships360 and Cappex.
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