Counseling Corner: Willowbrook Guidance Department offers financial aid presentations and seminars to assist students and parents/guardians

The process of researching and applying for financial aid to attend college can be overwhelming, but the Willowbrook Guidance Department is here to help.

On Sept. 26, the department hosted a “Senior Financial Aid Night” for parents/guardians, and counselors also met with seniors that day to discuss “Financing Your Education.” During that presentation, financial aid terms, how to apply for financial aid and how to search and apply for scholarships were discussed. Students were reminded of the importance of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form as soon as possible after its open on Oct. 1 to ensure eligible monies are available.

Willowbrook will offer two FAFSA Completion Workshops, where members of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will help students and parents/guardians complete their FAFSA form. The "MAD Money" FAFSA Completion Workshops will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. on Oct. 24 and Nov. 7 in the Library Media Center. Students and parents/guardians should bring their social security number, driver’s license and completed 2018 taxes.

Scholarships also are a great way to help with the costs of attending college. There is quite an array of scholarships, so there is something for everyone. Many scholarships are based on merit, but there also are some based on ethnicity, gender, volunteer work, future education plans, financial status and many other factors. Students can search and apply for scholarships through multiple avenues, including:

• Financial aid page of the colleges/universities to which they apply
• Student’s or parent’s employer (many companies offer scholarships for children of their employees)
• National scholarship search sites such as www.Fastweb.com and www.Scholarships.com (a more extensive list can be found on the Guidance Department web page at https://tinyurl.com/ybjah7ql)
• A large focus at Willowbrook is local scholarship offerings. There are many businesses and organizations throughout DuPage County that offer scholarships for students. Students can find those scholarships by visiting the Scholarship Bulletin Board in the Guidance Office, the College and Career Center and the Guidance Department web page at https://tinyurl.com/ybjah7ql. On that page, students will find financial aid information, helpful websites and a list of available local scholarships (many of the local scholarships become available during second semester, so the list of 2019-20 local scholarships will be updated in early October).

For questions or more information about scholarships, contact Willowbrook Counselor Scott Forcash at sforcash@dupage88.net or 630-530-3420.