Learn about Financial Aid for Bryant & StrattonCollege


			To learn about how to get financial aid for college, go to the web site at WWW.BRYANTSTRATTON.EDU



Here's how to get started: Understand how your finances are assessed. For the purpose of financial aid, you are trying to lower your expected family contribution. That means that this is not the time to boast about your fat retirement account or fancy new house — in fact, legally, both of these assets can, and should, be left off the form. If you've been saving for college, be clear on how that money will be treated. Money in the student's name is assessed more heavily than that in the parent's. Students are expected to contribute 20 percent of their assets, while parents only weigh in at 5.5 percent. (Note to parents still saving for college: That means if you have an account dedicated to money for college, like a 529, keep it in your name to maximize your child's financial aid.) Do your prep work. Taking the time to get yourself a little organized will save you a lot of hassle. Pull together all year-end statements detailing your investments, as well as your most recent tax returns. Even the most ambitious among us doesn't have his 2006 return completed in January, so it's okay to fall back on last year's numbers.



		Look over the application carefully. "Before you fill out the form, understand why they ask each question, and how different combinations of answers to seemingly unimportant questions might have major consequences," says Kal Chany, founder and president of Campus Consultants and author of "Paying for College Without Going Broke," now in its 7th edition. For example, you'll be asked if you're eligible to file a 1040A in place of the longer 1040 form during tax time. If you can answer in the affirmative, Chany says, it could give you an edge. Read the fine print, and don't skip ahead. Granted, this is starting to sound like the SATs, but people actually miss out on aid because they don't follow the directions. Whatever you do, don't skip questions, no matter how irrelevant or unnecessary they may seem. One thing people tend to exclude, says Holler, is how many members of the family are enrolled in college. "Make sure you are counting everyone — parents and children — and get that number right. That number, more than any other item on the form, is going to effect how much money you get to pay for college." Don't limit yourself. Much like SATs, the FAFSA allows you to list up to six colleges that will receive your information. But these days, students are often applying to twice that, so don't stress out that your schools will be left out. After you submit your application with the first six schools, it will be processed and you'll receive a student aid report. You can then revisit your FAFSA online and add up to six additional schools. Contact your child's choice colleges. If you're just looking for a Stafford Loan, which is a low-interest student loan, then the only form you need to submit is the FAFSA. But why wouldn't you want to gun for the grants and scholarships out there, which unlike loans, don't have to be paid back? To get in the running for all of these, you need to contact the colleges your child is interested in attending and fill out the forms specific to each school. They'll require much of the same information as the FAFSA, so the process, though tedious, doesn't require extra research or preparation. Finally, take note of the fact that this isn't a one-time deal. You'll have to repeat the process each year your child is enrolled. The good news? It gets easier with practice.



	Top College Financial Aid Tips