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

The Willowbrook Guidance Department is committed to helping students achieve their post-high school goals. As part of that mission, the department offers presentations throughout the year to provide Willowbrook families with information about how to navigate the financial aspects of attending college.

On Sept. 21, counselors met with senior students to discuss “Financing Your Education.” The department also hosted a Financial Aid Night on Sept. 22 to share similar information with parents/guardians.

During those presentations, financial aid terms, how to request financial aid and how to search and apply for scholarships were discussed. Students also were reminded of the importance of completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form soon after Oct. 1 to ensure eligible monies are available. Willowbrook will offer three FAFSA Completion Workshops (see details below), during which members of the Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC) will guide students and parents through completing the FAFSA form.

• 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 5
• 6 to 8 p.m. on Oct. 6
• 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10

Students and parents should bring their social security numbers, driver’s license numbers and completed 2015 taxes to those workshops.

The presentation on Sept. 21 also discussed scholarships as a great way to help with the costs of 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:

• The financial aid page of the colleges/universities to which they apply
• The 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 & Student Services” page on Willowbrook’s website at http://tinyurl.com/z2w6j44)
• 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 Counseling Office, the College and Career Center and the “Scholarships and Financial Aid” web page at http://tinyurl.com/hdalwj5. On that page, students will find financial aid information, helpful websites and a list of available local scholarships (many local scholarships become available during second semester, so the list of 2016-17 local scholarships will be updated in early October).

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