Financial Aid Tips
Planning for college? LINK’s Financial Aid Facilitators offer the following financial aid and scholarship tips to help you in navigating financial aid decisions.
Tracy Boler
Tracy BolerTracy advises parents to have an open dialogue with their children about financial expectations regarding paying for college, so the family is all on the same page. She suggests starting early and staying organized, like using a spreadsheet, to be on track for the college application process. When it comes to comparing financial aid offers, locations, and college opportunities, she says, “Make sure you’re comparing apples to apples. Only compare when you have all the financial aid packages available.”
Adriane Jackson
Adriane Jackson Mrs. Jackson advises families to compare all offers before making any decisions. A common mistake she sees is that some families don’t talk about money. She emphasizes that having an open dialogue is key. Another mistake she sees is students waiting until the last minute to apply for scholarships. For busy/struggling students, she says having a tracker and staying organized is important. “Cost might be the biggest fit factor,” she said, “so leading with cost and then considering other factors is probably the best way to go.”
Dorina Moore
Dorina MooreDorina suggests that students and families familiarize themselves with financial aid terms to better understand how college aid works. A mistake Dorina sees happening is families thinking they can afford a school initially, but after looking at the finer details, they see that they cannot. For busy/struggling students, she recommends taking breaks to alleviate stress. Dorina advises that although factors like location are important, students need to recognize that their families shouldn’t undergo undue financial burden when it comes to managing the bottom-line costs of college.
Remember, planning for and securing financial aid and scholarships for college is a big task that takes a lot of time and effort. Please reach out to LINK for help—we’re here for you!
