By Jason Larson/TVCC Public Information
February is Financial Aid Awareness Month – a busy time of year for high school seniors. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) reminds students and families to apply for financial aid as early as possible. Those who apply are usually financially unstable and unable to get help from other sources due to having no credit history. There are things you can do if you’re in this position; find out more here about how to start rebuilding your credit history so that you can be financially independent again. Although this financial aid is a brilliant safety net for some parents, there is an element of embarrassment when it comes to applying for it.
Meeting an institution’s priority deadline better positions a student for maximum aid consideration. Deadline dates can be found on the institution’s website or by contacting the institution’s financial aid office. However, in Texas, nearly half of high school seniors do not complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), therefore limiting themselves on potential financial aid dollars and relief from high college costs.
The institution isn’t only to support students in getting the maximum aid they can but also to help them manage their finances better. They help them budget, provide financial advice, and even show them the best stock trading app for beginners for after they leave college and need to generate an income.
To help increase FAFSA completions, the THECB and TG will host a series of College Access and Affordability Telethons, an annual event that provides television viewers with information about student financial aid, including help with understanding and applying for federal and state financial aid. The telethons will be broadcast on the following dates and times in the area:
* Wednesday, Feb. 12 on KLTV-TV/KTRE-TV (Tyler/Longview/Nacogdoches) 4 p.m., 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
* Tuesday, Feb. 18 on KUVN-TV, Dallas/Fort Worth Univision, 5 p.m. and 10 p.m.
“For those who are new to the process, applying for financial aid can be overwhelming sometimes,” said Julie Lively, TVCC’s Director of Financial Aid. “These telethons being broadcast in conjunction with Financial Aid Awareness Month can be a great tool for anyone curious about the process, and of course, our office is always available to answer any questions students or future students might have.”
Student financial aid programs are available to eligible incoming and returning students enrolled full-time or part-time. All students considering higher education should apply by submitting the FAFSA application. The FAFSA is the U.S. Department of Education’s mechanism to determine a student’s ability to fund higher education and is critical for determining eligibility for federal and state student financial aid programs. To apply for financial aid consideration, students and families must complete the FAFSA online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Submitting a FAFSA is a critical step in obtaining federal and state aid for students.
In addition to the telethons that will help educate students and families, TG, the THECB and TASFAA are also providing regional training to assist Texas financial aid professionals in having the most up-to-date information available to ultimately help students and families. High school counselors play an important role in helping students fill out the form and complete the financial aid process, which may include a verification process at the institution. Counselors have access to track the submission and progress of the FAFSA for their students through the ApplyTexas Counselor Suite that provides high school counselors and administrators with online access to status information regarding which of their students have completed a FAFSA for the upcoming school year. This useful follow-up tool was first provided to Texas counselors during the 2012-2013 school year, and will provide FAFSA status weekly from February 2014 through the remainder of the academic year.
Students, parents and counselors wanting to learn more about current financial aid programs can visit the website CollegeforallTexans.com – one of several available resources in a full suite of online tools to help navigate the pathway to higher education that includes GenTX.org, CompareCollegeTX.com and ApplyTX.org.
To contact the TVCC Financial Aid office, call 903-675-6345.