Money and College - 5 Financial Aid Myths Exposed

There are many myths when it comes to financialIn the 1990s, it was estimated that Gettysburg
aid and college. So many students and parentsCollege in Pennsylvania at more than 75 freshmen
repeat visits to one another each and every year.who received financial aid that came from families
Instead of verifying facts, everyone just repeatsearning $100,000 plus. They also had over 600
what they have heard from other people whostudents that were receiving financial aid who
have not verified facts. You should spend a littlecame from families earning more than $50,000
time and do some homework.per year. Do not make assumptions, go in and
There is a myth that filling out paperwork andverify the facts.
applying for financial aid causes a lot of trauma.Another myth is that all financial aid comes in the
This is partially true, you do have to fill out a lotform of a loan. This is very far from the truth.
of paperwork and answer a lot of personalYes, one form of financial aid is a student loan.
questions. Parents will be required to submit allMany people choose this path when there are no
kinds of information, including accounts, stocks,other options available or in combination with
and your personal tax returns. The colleges wantother available options, such as grants and
this information so that they can help you getscholarships. You will have to pay this money
money. Remember colleges and universities are inback over a period of time with interest. Before
business to make money, and the way theyyou commit to borrowing money in the form of a
make money is through students attending theirstudent loan, make sure you understand the
school.implications of it.
There is a myth that it is too hard to qualify forAnother myth is that if you want to go to college
aid. There is some validity to this, but it usuallyand you are older, there will not be any financial
takes much less time to apply for financial aidaid available for you. Once again, this is as far
than it does to apply for college. There are lots offrom the truth as you can get. Financial aid is
questions, but all they want is just answers in thefinancial aid. It does not matter whether you are
form of numbers. There are no essays required18 years old or 92 years old. If you qualify, you
when filling out the paperwork. Dig through yourqualify. If you don't, then you don't. It does not
information and find out the correct answers inhave anything to do with age whatsoever. Any
your done. It's really very simple.kind of grant or scholarship that is available, you
Many students and parents' thing they will notwill be eligible for, just as long as you meet the
qualify for aid because they make too muchrequirements.
money. There are many students who getGo and verify the facts. Do not sit around and
financial aid, not student loans, whose parentsmake assumptions and talk about things with
make six-figure incomes. They give this moneyother people who are also making assumptions. It
legitimately without lying or cheating. There arewill lead you to believe there are no options out
many different factors that are consideredthere, when there really are.
besides your parent's income to see if you qualify.