Get help navigating college financial aid process
High school seniors and juniors looking for help in paying for college have two upcoming opportunities to learn more about financial aid.
Flathead High School hosts a seminar, “Understanding the College Financial Aid Process,” at 7 p.m. Thursday in the school’s large lecture room.
The seminar, geared toward Flathead and Glacier juniors and seniors and their parents, aims to cover information about college financial planning, including grants, loans, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and other opportunities to learn more about financial aid at local events.
DeAnn Thomas, director of Flathead High’s Career Center, will present information. Mary Howard, Student Assistance Foundation’s general manager for campus outreach; Danelle Whitten, associate director of Flathead Valley Community College’s Office of Financial Aid; and a local financial planner will also discuss various components of the financial aid process.
Attendees will receive packets of financial aid information and will have a chance to ask questions.
For further information about the seminar, call the Flathead Career Center at 751-3661.
Columbia Falls High School, in cooperation with the Montana Student Assistance Foundation and Flathead Valley Community College’s Office of Financial Aid, hosts a college financial aid workshop at 6 p.m. Jan. 18.
The workshop takes place in the high school library. Signs will direct participants from the main doors of the high school.
The workshop will assist high school seniors and their parents in completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Participants will complete their applications online, so students will be considered for all forms of federal financial assistance for college.
High school counselors Brian Crandell and Doug Cordier, FVCC financial aid director Cindy Kiefer and associate director Whitten, and Howard, the general manager for campus outreach for Student Assistance Foundation, will be on hand to help with applications and answer questions.
Most applicants can finish the form within an hour, Kiefer said.
“This is a great opportunity for parents and students to get sound advice and get their financial aid forms completed,” Cordier said.
“Too often, I see people put this off until time runs short or they miss a deadline. The process can be a little intimidating for first-timers, but with Cindy, Danelle and Mary here to assist, I’m confident we can tackle any question or situation that people bring to us.”
Participants shouldn’t show up empty-handed; to complete the application, they will need Social Security numbers for the student and the parent. Participants also must bring current or year-old tax returns, current W-2 forms or end-of-year pay stubs, plus any child support documentation and any additional income information needed to complete the form.
All information reviewed by counselors and financial aid officers will be kept private and confidential and will not be used for any purpose other than helping students apply for financial aid.
For further information, call Cordier at 892-6500, extension 230, or Kiefer at 756-3843.