Don’t Double Deposit Taking a Gap Year Affording College

Affording College

A college education is expensive, and the means to determining eligibility for financial assistance are not always obvious. A good place to for any family to start is the Net Price Calculator provided on all college websites.

Some colleges offer merit scholarships available to students without regard to need. Merit scholarships vary from college to college and may take into consideration factors such as academics, extracurricular activities, and leadership. Most merit awards are partial scholarships. Pay attention to scholarship deadlines — many are earlier than application deadlines. There are also community organizations that offer scholarships. These may supplement aid received from colleges. The best scholarships to apply for are those renewable all four years.

Parents should research financial aid application requirements at each school on their son’s list.

The common denominator for applying for financial assistance is the submission of the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, found at fafsa.gov and available October 1 of a boy’s senior year.

Some private colleges also require the CSS PROFILE, which can be found at collegeboard.com starting in September.

Tax information filed in the previous year is used to fill out a FAFSA application. Some colleges may also require supplemental financial aid forms. Please consult individual college websites for specific information.

Woodberry uses a different methodology than colleges to calculate financial aid. Families who receive financial aid at Woodberry often find that the amount colleges expect the family to contribute to their son’s college education is higher. Loans can make up a significant portion of a college financial aid package.

Learn a bit about common financial aid language. The Woodberry college counseling staff is available to help answer questions or explain terms.

Colleges have specific information on their websites for international students and their families. Some colleges do not extend aid to non-US citizens/permanent residents.

Woodberry Forest School College Counseling Office 148 Woodberry Forest Road Woodberry Forest, Virginia 22989 540-672-6050 woodberry.org