By: Amanda D. Jerome
1. File your FAFSA early! The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens each January 1st for the following fall. The FAFSA will determine if a student is eligible for grants, scholarships and even low interest loans.
2. Treat scholarships like another class of part time job. Search for scholarships using free search engines such as www.fastweb.com or www.cappex.com. There are also countless local scholarships available to high school seniors-many high schools post these scholarships on their Guidance webpages or even send them out via Facebook or Twitter-ask your school guidance counselor to know for sure!
3. Consider beginning your college education at a community college (such as OCTC) before transferring to a four-year university. Transferring with multiple hours of college credit is simple and it is a cost effective way of maximizing your college education dollars! Did you know high school juniors and seniors in Kentucky apply for the Mary Jo Young Scholarship before May 15th each year, which, if awarded, will cover the cost of taking two classes (up to $420 per class) each semester (fall/spring), plus textbook reimbursement!! Visit www.kheaa.com for more information!
4. Take college classes or Advanced Placement courses in high school as low cost options for earning college credits. Added bonus: be prepared for college rigor before you even set foot on campus!
5. Maximize on your KEES money, especially if you are planning on staying in the state of Kentucky. All high school students have the potential to earn KEES money during high school, and then turn around and use that money for college. Visit www.kheaa.com for more information and to see how much money your GPA could be earning you!
Some additional tips from Owensboro Parent to help your student finance their college education in atypical ways…
1. Stay in State: Setting your sights locally can drastically reduce the cost of college. According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2014–2015 school year was $9,139 for state residents at public colleges and $22,958 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.
2. Take, Retake and ReRetake the ACT: According to actstudent.org, 57% of students from the 2014 graduating class who took the ACT more than once increased their Composite score on the retest. For students with an initial ACT Composite score between 13 and 29, the typical ACT Composite score from the second testing is about 1 point higher.
3. Work Your Way Through: Working a part-time job while in college not only helps to offset college expenses but also allows students the opportunity to gain time management skills, budgeting skills and valuable experience that will translate directly to their post-college employability.