Navigating the Financial Aid Maze by Dr. Janet Miranda
When selecting a college, affordability must often
their procedure. The colleges will ALWAYS be
be a true consideration for many students. The
your PRIMARY source for scholarship.
mistake many students make is putting the cart before the horse: considering the dollar sign first and then creating a list of colleges. It should actually be the other way around. Never avoid applying to a particular school because you believe you will not be able to afford it. You will never know unless you apply, are accepted, and then see how much assistance the college is willing to give you.
Students and parents often refer to scholarships and financial aid as one. Both are usually administered out of the same office and this can be confusing: it’s like having apples and oranges in the same crate, so let’s separate the crates!
Scholarship = Merit. You earn a scholarship. Scholarship is considered an award for something of excellence such as grades, class rank, test scores, activities, community service and so forth. All legitimate scholarships are
Did you know?
given away. Beware of multiple scams stating
For the 2012-13 year, 99% of AU students received financial aid with an average award of $23,366.
go unclaimed. No legitimate scholarship or
that thousands of dollars in scholarship money scholarship service will require you to pay anything. Do not every pay anything to any company promising scholarship opportunities. If it is legitimate, it is free. Your primary source for scholarship will always be the college or university. Your best secondary
Make a list of colleges and universities of interest
source for scholarships can be found at
to you. Next, do your homework. Find out if
www.fastweb.com. Do not be hesitant to use
your application to the college also serves as your
this site – the information you provide is secure.
application for all scholarships offered at the
It is also possible to find special scholarships
school. Some colleges require additional applications
through a “Google” search. For example:
for scholarship and some require only the
“Engineering + Scholarships” or substitute any
paperwork of the initial application. Contact the
other major interest, ethnicity or gender.
Scholarship Office at each college to determine
30 www.andersonuniversity.edu