Counseling Corner: Addison Trail Guidance Department to host Financial Aid and FAFSA workshops

The Addison Trail 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 Addison Trail families with information about how to navigate the financial aspects of attending college.

Students and parents/guardians can access the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form for the 2017-18 school year starting on Oct. 1. That form can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Seniors who plan to attend college in fall 2017 should complete the FAFSA with their parents/guardians as soon as possible on or after Oct. 1 to ensure eligible monies are available. Grants through the Illinois Monetary Award Program (MAP) are typically awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, so students who submit their FAFSA right away will be first in line to receive that grant money, if they qualify. To receive loan money, colleges require students to submit the FAFSA form as well. After being accepted to colleges, students will receive letters from those schools with their financial aid packages. Depending on the school, those letters might not be distributed until spring.

The following documents are needed to complete the FAFSA:

  • Parent/guardian 2015 tax return and W-2
  • Student 2015 tax return and W-2 (if applicable)
  • Parent/guardian social security number (if available)
  • Student social security number
  • Names of colleges to which the student is applying

Here is an overview of the FAFSA process:

  1. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov, and click on “Start a New FAFSA.”
  2. Click on the FAFSA form for the 2017-18 school year.
  3. Complete the requested information, including financial information.
  4. Sign the application with your FSA ID (students and parents/guardians will need to create a FSA ID).
  5. Verify your information is correct, and make corrections if necessary.

Addison Trail is here to assist you with this process. On Sept. 29, Addison Trail hosted a Financial Aid Night. The following two workshops also are available:

7 p.m. Oct. 27
Financial Aid Workshop (overview of the FAFSA completion process – learn how to complete the application line by line)

6 p.m. Nov. 10
FAFSA One-on-One Workshop (individual assistance in English and Spanish to complete the FAFSA form)

* Students who are ineligible to apply for FAFSA funds are encouraged to see their counselor for alternate ways to help pay for college.

For questions or more information, contact the Addison Trail Guidance Department at 630-628-2613.