How do I get the most financial aid?
Apply before your school's priority deadline for financial
aid, normally by the end of February. Research and apply for scholarships
from private foundations, clubs, employers and other organizations. If your
financial or family circumstances change, contact the school's financial aid
office for a new consideration of aid.
University of North Dakota student
Max Kahlhamer says he recommends studying hard for college entrance tests,
to improve the chances of receiving merit-based scholarships.
"I'd also
apply for a lot more smaller scholarships," he says. "Five hundred dollars
may not seem like a lot, but it's $500 you could spend on something else."
Mary
Crippen is the parent of a first-year college student. She wishes she had
attended more seminars about applying for scholarships and planning for college.
"By
the time we were looking for outside scholarships to supplement the financial
aid package, many of the deadlines for certain scholarships had passed," she
says.