College cost control requires preparation
Lynn McAlvey (left) goes over a list of scholarships with senior Zhane Serrano.
MOSES LAKE - Any kind of post-secondary education is expensive, but parents and students can help keep costs under control by planning ahead, according to local high school and college counselors.
And the sooner parents and kids start, the better. Rhonda Hagy, counselor at Ephrata High School, said families should have a "four or five year plan."
While planning ahead is crucial, parents and students should be aware it's a continuing effort, too.
Because financial aid is based on family or student income, students must submit revised information each year, said Jille Shankar, director of financial aid at Big Bend Community College.
For parents and families planning to apply for financial aid, the first step is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The application is available at all high school counseling offices and online at the BBCC website as well as the college financial aid center.
College staff will be available from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday afternoon to help families fill out the FAFSA form at the college library, 7662 Chanute St. NE, Moses Lake.
In fact, every student looking at post-secondary education should fill out the FAFSA form, whether or not they plan to apply for federal aid. Even if a student doesn't qualify for grants, the application also is used for student loans.
Moses Lake High School financial aid specialist Lynn McAlvey cited her family's experience as an illustration. Her kids planned to pay for their education, and Mom and Dad pitched in, but a family emergency reduced the money available. Because her daughter had filled out the federal aid application, she was able to obtain a loan to fill the gap.
Many applications for private scholarships also use the information on the FAFSA form. There are a lot of scholarships available, and contrary to information that may be floating around out there, scholarships aren't just for the brainiacs.
On Tuesday afternoon McAlvey and senior Zhane Serrano were reviewing a list of scholarships available to Moses Lake students. McAlvey found one that required a maximum grade point average of 3.6.
"There are scholarships out there for everyone," Hagy said. "There are scholarships everywhere."
"There is a lot of money out there. (Students) have just got to go get it," she said. Students shouldn't sell themselves short when it comes to applying, Hagy said. "Don't listen to that little voice inside that lacks confidence," she wrote.
Information about available scholarships is all over the place. "The web is huge," Hagy said, and she's found scholarship information in regional newspapers, heard about them from district patrons, even heard some announced on the radio
Local school districts maintain lists of scholarships at the counseling center and on the school website. Once a student applies to a college and is accepted, there may be additional scholarships available through the institution. A list of scholarships for BBCC students is available on the college website, Shankar said.
Students do have to sort through all the options, and find the scholarships where they're a good match for the criteria. Most scholarships and college applications require a personal statement, McAlvey and Hagy said.
That's important, and students should pay attention to it. "(Students) need to take the time and put the effort into it," Hagy said. "Take the time to look like you really want it (the scholarship)."
The personal statement is the place where students can talk a little bit about themselves, and possibly add details that wouldn't fit on the application. McAlvey cited the case of students who have family obligations and as a result can't participate in as many school activities. "They can express that (what they've learned from those experiences) in their personal statement," she said.
But it should be a page long at the most. "They don't want you to go on and on and on," she said.
No matter which avenue a student is taking in their search for financial aid, the time is now. Deadlines, both for applications and college admissions are coming, and have already passed at some schools. But it's not too late to start the application processes, McAlvey said. Parents and students who want more information can contact their school's financial aid counselors.
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