Paying for College
Paying for College–Checklist for Financial Aid
Use this sheet as a personal guide for the financial aid process. Check off each step as you complete it. Make copies of all correspondence and forms and keep them in a financial aid file.
- Learn about financial aid. Find out what the options are for your family. Order information from ICPAC. Visit your local library. Borrow books from your high school counselor.
Apply to college before Thanksgiving. (Some college scholarship opportunities are offered in the fall.) - Visit the financial aid office of each college to which you apply. Learn the college’s due dates for aid, and ask if the college has its own financial aid form.Attend financial aid sessions at Ben Davis High School in December and February.
- File parent and student federal income tax forms as soon as possible (preferably in January) so there is accurate data to use for financial aid forms.
- Attend College Goal Sunday in early February if you need assistance filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Call the ICPAC hotline (800-992-2076) for an updated listing of sites. The ICPAC hotline can also answer calls about the FAFSA.
- Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) anytime after January 1 but no later than April 15.
View FAFSA Deadlines - Read all financial aid notification and bursar notification letters carefully. Respond to any requests for additional information quickly, completely, and accurately.
- Check sources for scholarships for which you are eligible:
- Each college/post-secondary institution
- Those announced in the Ben Davis announcements
- Corporations where parents are employed
- Military – ROTC, MROTC
- Churches
- Professional Associations
- Check with your bank regarding the possibility of obtaining a student or parent loan.
