Private College Student Loan

when should i apply for college and for scholarships/loans/grants?

i just started my senior year in high school. i know this answer is coming so let me just tell u that i don't have a counselor at school and no one in my family has been to college so i cant ask anyone

Public Comments

1. You should apply for college no later than November, it's best to get your app's in before thanksgiving. You can't fill out for FAFSA (financial aid, grants, loans) until after Jan when your parents get their tax returns.
2. If you have a good idea of where you want to apply, a.s.a.p. is always good. You can also apply to a single college months early via early acceptance, or a few via early consideration. Most bookstores will have a good "how to apply to college" book, which in your situation is probably worth buying (or checking out from the library at least). After you are accepted and select a college you can look up student aid via FAFSA (website provided). Good luck!
3. Well, I am assuming you have taken the SAT's and have started to look at colleges that you might be interested in. The easiest thing to do is to look at the college websites and see what their application deadlines are and also look at their financial aid page. If I recall correctly I had all of my applications in by Turkey Day. My only advice is to not procrastinate. These deadlines creep up fast. Hope this helps.
4. most colleges recommend that you apply by thanksgiving...the sooner you apply the sooner you can get accepted then you can work on the grants and loans...you will need to fill out your fafsa which is free and you can do it online...once that is processed you will find out if you qualify for any grants... also your college financial aid office can answer any questions you might have that is what they are there for after all..i was in the same boat as you i had to find everything out on my own but trust me there are a lot of people that are willing to answer questions just don't wait until the last minute...also you want to apply early because if you do qualify for scholarships funded through the school there are probably deadlines
5. You should start filling in your FAFSA around Feb. Make sure you send it in before their priority deadline. That's the best and easiest way to get loans, work study, scholarships and grants.
6. http://www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/scholarships-and-aid/23642.html Most colleges have financial aid acceptance deadlines so you should find out the deadline for the school you're applying to.
7. My absolute best advice to you is to start doing your research now. You can never be too prepared. Start with college. Do you know which scholl you want to attend? If so, contact the fincial aid department and speak with one of their representatives. They will be able to guide you through this challenging time. Also, check out this website for more information. http://www.schools2colleges.com/school-grants.php