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Tips to help students maximize financial aid

 

Continuing education is more expensive than ever before. While the idea that everyone should have a chance to study is admirable, the prohibitive costs mean that many people will have a hard time making ends meet. However, with financial aid, you stand a good chance of making a real difference to your funds. We’re going to take a look at a few of the best ways to ensure you get the most out of the available grants, including:

  • organisation;
  • calculations and
  • how to spend it.

Organize yourself and keep track of changes

The organization makes a huge difference to the amount of financial aid you can claim. The first thing to mention is that you will have to apply before you can even start investigating the options. This can put you in something of a quandary, as you may be making your decisions based on how much it’s set to cost you. However, with a bit of research, you should be able to work out a ballpark figure for your expected financial aid. It’s probably best to err on the side of caution, as otherwise, you may find yourself counting your chickens before they hatch

It’s also crucial that you pay attention to all relevant deadlines. This doesn’t just mean when you have to apply for aid, though that’s obviously important. You also need to pay attention to any credit card debts or other fees you may find yourself accruing. If not dealt with immediately, these additional costs can quickly spiral until you find yourself trapped. Pay off any necessary fees and debts as soon as possible. Even though it may feel like you’re spending your money on nothing, the possible ramifications of late payments more than justify it. And make sure you check any and all correspondence, whether by e-mail or on paper. Read everything thoroughly and make sure you understand what’s going on. If you miss something out, you won’t simply be able to plead ignorance.

Notify administrators of any relevant changes of circumstance

Make sure you stay updated on your situation, not just in the run-up to applying, but at all points afterwards. If your circumstances change and you fail to notify your aid administrators, you could find yourself claiming the money you aren’t entitled to. And on the bright side, you may actually find out that you are entitled to more than you initially thought. Some forms of aid are dependent on grades, which is as good an incentive to study as any. Don’t slack if you can’t afford it. The money is for sustaining studying, after all. Changes to your housing situation also have an effect on aid. So again, this is something you need to record and inform the relative administrators of. And your family and personal income have a great effect on the amount of money you’re entitled to, so keep track of them as well.

If you want to find a few loopholes, they’re definitely out there. A lot depends on your personal bank balance, so you may want to consider moving some money around. If you move a sizable chunk of your personal finances into a parent’s account, for example, you can significantly change the amount of money you are entitled to. Personal funds play a role in the calculation of allocated aid, so naturally, the less money they see in your account, the more they feel you need a stipend. And speaking of personal assets and finance, you should investigate which things you are required to mention to the administrators. For instance, your primary residence, car, and untaxed social income are not required to be mentioned at any time in the process. There’s no reason to put them down!

Do you really need to make an appeal?

And if you’re not satisfied with the final amount, you can always appeal. It’s worth considering this closely though. If you’ve done everything in your power to maximize financial aid, you may not be able to get any more out of them. And if you’re simply conjuring up an image of yourself as a penniless pauper, while you scoff on quail and champagne, you may want to take a look in the mirror.

These are a few of the best tried and tested ways of maximizing financial aid. Given the rocketing costs of further education, you’re probably going to need everything you can get. And rather than going down the perilous route of bottomless (until you hit the bottom) credit, you may want to investigate financial aid as a solution to all of your problems.


Author:

My name is Anabel Cooper and I’m an editor and blogger from Harlow, the UK.

I’m looking for new inspiration and would like to bring something new in lives of my readers.

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