Things I Wish I Knew Before College

FAFSA is officially open! The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, opens on October 1st and it is extremely important that every college student applies for this as soon as possible. Filing your FAFSA allows college students to receive federal aid that will help pay for their college education. Make the most out of your financial aid and avoid these common mistakes!

1. Not Filing your FAFSA

If you don’t fill out your FAFSA, you miss out on thousands of dollars that can help you pay for college. This includes the Pell Grant, the Federal-Work Study application, student loans, and scholarships.

 2. Filing your FAFSA late

 Although the Federal Deadline for this year’s FAFSA is June 30, 2020, the best way to   ensure that you get the most amount of aid possible is filing FAFSA as soon as possible.

3. Not Visiting DePaul Central

DePaul Central is extremely helpful when it comes to any questions regarding   financial   aid, tuition costs, and FAFSA. If you have any questions or need help on how to file a FAFSA, DePaul Central is them main point of contact to get help.

4. Not applying for Scholarships every year

Yes, even after you start college, you need to keep applying for scholarships. So many college students believe that once you’ve already started college, you don’t need to keep applying for them. DePaul’s Scholarship Portal is a great resource to finding tons of scholarships, and it’s constantly being updated so it’s worth checking every so often.

– Nooreen Jahan