I was going to, simply, make a Xomblurb post, but, after reading the article I was thinking about linking, I, thought, "since I've worked in the area of admissions, and continue to work on the last 29 credits for my BA, I should add my two-cents to give additional insight into avoiding the confusion of the beginning days of college."

FAFSA:
http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

When it comes to FAFSA, the old saying, "the early bird gets the worm," means exactly that. FAFSA is the starting-point for each year you're in school for determining the amount of student-aid available to a student, on the Federal level.

The earlier you fill out your FAFSA the better your ability to get the most-available amount of funds. FAFSA documents are usually filled out prior to the beginning of each school year. Do, keep in mind, however, a late FAFSA filing will still get you some funds.

And, to fill out a FAFSA you do not need to be attending college. You must be attending school to receive the funds.
I have found it beneficial to check the "full-time" attendance
box, even if you are not going to attend full-time, apply for loans and grants, and check the box for "work-study." You can always make adjustments later at your college. Getting the maximum allocated will make your journey, just, that much easier.

Work-study is for getting a job, through your college in a field of interest to you or your chosen area of study. Work-study allocations go fast, as does the amount of money available to all, so, early-bird application should be your objective.

All your questions will be answered by going to the FAFSA website listed above.

Online filing of FAFSA applications is the best way to submit. The turn-around is about 10-14 days, opposed to mail, which could take weeks. The sooner your application reaches the school(s) of your choice the better your chances of getting all available.

Once your FAFSA reaches your school it is assigned a "Financial Aid Advisor." This is the person who actually signs the papers to issue your student-aid. Most students never take the time to meet their Financial Aid Advisor.

I STRONGLY RECOMMEND you take the time to meet and get-to-know your Financial Aid Advisor. Why? The FA Advisor can, at times, speed your money faster into your pocket. And, more important can assist you with obtaining a work-study position, and aid you with additional funding, not always available in clear-print on how to obtain.

I remember what my FA Advisor told me once; she said, "here we (all the FA Advisors) sit in this office and seldom do we ever meet the students we authorize funds for. They are just numbers and names, page, after page. And, you, know, what the students do not realize is we have the ability to change people's lives, if we could just put a face with a name."

So, GET TO KNOW YOUR FINANCIAL AID ADVISOR!

Academic advisors:

In, general, students see the first academic advisor on who ever is available. I have found not all academic advisors are the same. If you end up with someone you don't feel comfortable with, or are not connecting with, or you feel is not giving you help in the direction you want, you are under no obligation to stick with that person. Get up, excuse yourself, and get someone else. This is your life, your future, and your money paying for everything. The wrong advisor can cost you time, money, and longer time in college.
Don't be awe-struck, they are people too, people, not any better than you.

College Orientation:

Take the time to attend your college's orientation. I skipped mine, and it cost me through my non-knowledge of how my school processes worked. that cost me time, and money!

Well, there's my two-cents. And, now allow me to post, below, with its website link, an article I found today regarding Admission applications.

"Avoiding online application disasters"
by Lauren Starkey, College Admissions Examiner

The thinking goes like this: “‘everyone’ is submitting their application electronically. Maybe there is an advantage to filling out a paper application. I’ll look like I care more, that I’ve put more effort into it, and that I am highly interested in attending when I use their application instead of the Common App.”

Here’s the behind-the-scenes reality. Once the admissions department gets your paper application, it’s going to end up in electronic form. Why? Admissions departments, like offices in most every industry, need to share information among its employees. Counselors read applications on computer, whether in their offices, while traveling, or at home. Information gets passed from one counselor to another, and to a database in which the ultimate admissions decisions get registered.

It’s not a bad idea to call the schools to which you’re applying and ask which type of application submission they prefer (see tip #1 in my post Seniors: Boost your chances for acceptance today), but you’ll probably hear that it’s up to you. There is, however, one important reason for considering the paper method: the tendency to treat everything online casually. You’re typing all the time, writing messages on Facebook walls, texting, and emailing. It’s quick and easy communication, and you rarely worry about spelling, never mind content. This tendency can lead you into dangerous territory with electronically submitted applications.

The first problem is an editorial one. Speed and ease can translate into careless errors, such as forgetting to cut and paste the school’s name in your essay or elsewhere on the application. No admissions counselor from College A wants to read why you’re dying to attend College B. Don’t send anything without having a friend, parent, or teacher check your work.

Here’s an example of another potential problem: a few years ago I was working with a student on his application essay. He first emailed the wrong one, and the next email I got from him started “oh crap.” I was amused, but an admissions officer won’t be. The head of admissions at the University of Vermont told me about the many messages she gets with obscene or otherwise offensive email addresses. Your friends might reply to “hotchick99” but it sends the wrong message to the person who could decide whether you get into college.

Before you apply online, change your email address to something appropriate; write complete, businesslike sentences when writing an email; and have every line of your application checked by someone else. Following these steps can help you avoid an embarrassing, admissions-declining mistake.

The link to this article is:
http://www.examiner.com/x-766-College-Admissions-Examiner~y2008m11d24-Avoiding-online-application-disasters

_____________________
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"If there is anyone out there who still doubts that America is a place where all things are possible; who still wonders if the dream of our founders is alive in our time; who still questions the power of our democracy-tonight is your answer.”
President Barack Obama, 4 Nov. 2008