Seniors and parents/guardians of seniors, please find some important information below about financial aid for students planning to attend college next year:
Students should review financial aid information on each of their prospective colleges' individual websites. That way, they know exactly what they need to submit and by when. It is important to follow college deadlines for financial aid in order to maximize financial aid opportunities.
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
All students looking to attend college should apply for financial aid through FAFSA. Here is a link to the FAFSA website: http://studentaid.gov/
FAFSA becomes available starting October 1.
If you haven't done so already, it is important that you create an FSA ID that you will use to access and sign the FAFSA. A student and parent each need their own FSA ID. It can take several days for your FSA ID to be confirmed, so plan to create your FSA ID several days in advance of when you plan to begin the FAFSA.
To create an FSA ID visit: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch
***Please note it is important that students not use their school issued email accounts when creating their FSA ID, on the FAFSA, and on other financial aid related forms since they are only able to receive emails from people in CBRSD.
CSS (College Scholarship Service)
Some colleges require the CSS profile. A list of those colleges can be found on the following website: https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx
If your student is applying to one or more schools that require the CSS profile in addition to the FAFSA, we also recommend:
List of schools requiring the CSS profile: https://profile.collegeboard.org/profile/ppi/participatingInstitutions.aspx
MEFA (Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority)
MEFA is offering several virtual financial aid events. Please register for an event on their website at www.mefa.org/events. Events will be held various days, starting 9/28, including afternoon and evening sessions. Recorded sessions will also be available on their site for those who are unable to attend one of the live events.
MEFA offers several different types of events, so if you are wondering which one(s) might be a good place to start, you may consider the following:
If you have more questions about FAFSA or CSS Profile after attending a MEFA event, we have wonderful partnerships with the financial aid representatives from our local colleges including MCLA, Berkshire Community College, Williams College and Vassar College. Parents and students can reach out to a financial aid representative from any one of these colleges with any questions even if they are not applying to one of the respective schools. We are so thankful for them in their continued support for students and families in our community.
