RoadFish.com mens lifestyle and finance magazine today urged parents and students to go through with FAFSA filing, even if they believe that their financial bracket will not qualify them for financial aid. RoadFish.com commented on the average amount of student loan debt today, and how getting state and/or federal aid and low-interest loans in the present can lower students hefty loans in the future. FAFSA is linked to most of the countrys federal and state grants, and counts as a prerequisite for federally subsidized loans.

The FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, determines students and families eligibility for financial aid, including the Pell Grant, federal work-study programs, and federal subsidized student loans which carry a lower interest rate than private loans. The FAFSA application offers students consideration for nine federal student-aid programs and 605 state aid programs.

Mandi Woodruff of the Business Insider reports that FAFSA form is six pages long and includes a total of 153 questionsmore than twice the number found on a federal tax form. In an interview with Mark Kantrowitz, publisher of Finaid.org and Fastweb.com, Kantrowitz offered some FAFSA tips such as not waiting until after youve filed your taxes to file for FAFSA, getting marital statuses straight on the application, making sure not to miscalculate certain assets, and above all never to fudge information. Kantrowitz stated that the U.S. Department of Education and the IRS are working hand in hand to crack down on families who provide fraudulent information on their FAFSA applications, and under-report their taxable income to try to obtain more aid. The current fraud rate is 4-5%, which the IRS and Dept. of Education hopes to lower in the coming year.

RoadFish.coms Senior staff writer is quoted as saying, Its absurd the amount of debt students walk away from school with these days. It is just so, so crucial to obtain as much aid, scholarships, and grants as you can to help minimize your financial responsibility after graduation. Your best shot at that is FAFSA. Even if you think you wont qualify for much or anything at all, you sure as heck wont get anything if you dont apply. Do it! Its a pain in the butt form, and a few hours out of your life, but it could save you and your kids a bunch of money.

The U.S. Department of Education begins accepting FAFSA applications on January 1st each year, and the federal deadline is June 30th. Since most aid is provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, many families are scrambling to turn in their forms in than the June deadline this year. FAFSAonline.com recommends turning in the FAFSA paperwork as early as possible to maximize eligibility for aid. Though the federal deadline is not for a few more months, certain states, such as Maryland, Oklahoma, and Montana, have deadlines as early as March 1st to apply for state aid. Check FAFSAs website for a complete list of states and deadlines, as they vary state to state.

RoadFish.com feels that escaping college with as little debt as possible starts with filling out a FAFSA form, and stated, Were in dire enough economic times as it is. Unemployment is high, credit report scores are low, debt is through the roof. Its a crime that college is as expensive as it is, but as students and parents of students, its your responsibility to make wise financial decisions in the present that can dramatically impact your future.

The FAFSA form should be prepared each year by both current and prospective undergrad and graduate college students, and applicants who filled out and filed a FAFSA the year before are able to submit a renewal FAFSA form for the upcoming year.

About Roadfish

RoadFish.com is an online men’s lifestyle and finance magazine targeted toward men in their 30s and 40s that have already attained a moderate level of success in life, and are striving toward more. It goes over current events of interest to this group, such things as exciting adventures, consumer interests, financial struggles, and dating tips, as well as ways to make more and save more money. It is a publication owned by Purpose Inc.

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Your Child Deserves the Best In today’s competitive world, your child needs the best possible education, to enrich his or her life and to secure a future with endless possibilities. Private schools are an option you should consider because many of them offer more advanced and up-to-date educational programs than are available at most public schools.

Contrary to what many people believe, private school is available for people with a variety of incomes. Even if your household income is modest, private school is still available to you.

Sandra L. Frazier s Private School It s Not Just for the Wealthy Anymore will show you how:

To prepare your child to enter a private school

To choose the right school for your child

To negotiate the complex application and interview process

To secure any necessary financial aid

You can obtain the education you want for your child if you are willing to become an effective advocate in the acceptance process. With initiative and the advice contained in this book, you can ensure your child attends a school that will provide a foundation for success in life.

Sandra L. Frazier is a corporate systems manager for an insurance company with more than seven years project management experience. She attended the University of Maryland and received associate certification in project management from ESI International. Sandra researched private schools extensively while deciding where to send her own son and daughter and is now sharing her findings with others who also want to pursue the best possible educations for their children. Private School It s Not Just for the Wealthy Anymore is her first book.

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Applying to College for Students With ADD or LD gives students easy-to-use guidelines and insider tips to make their college application process organized, effective, and less stressful.

This one-of-a-kind book is specifically tailored for teens with ADD or LD, and breaks down the application process into manageable steps–from determining personalized criteria for college and narrowing down college choices, to developing a strong portfolio and application, as well as asking for references, requesting financial aid, and preparing for interviews.

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Washington, DC (PRWEB) February 2, 2007

The quality of financial aid Web sites varies greatly and students and their families should be cautious about where they obtain their financial aid information, according to the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). The best source of information is still the financial aid office on campus.

Many Web sites are designed to be informative but are maintained by individuals with limited understanding and expertise in student aid. Even sites developed with the best of intentions sometimes leave out important details that can make a big difference to students. Also, when researching financial aid on the Web, student and parents should consider the following:

Do not mistake an opinion on a Web site or blog as fact;

Be cautious of scholarship sites that require up front fees for searches or matches;

Be wary of emails expressing congratulations for winning an unknown scholarship that will not be disbursed until a fee is paid;

Be aware that some sites dispense information without being upfront about how the site is funded, often presenting skewed information.

The financial aid process can be complicated and daunting even without having to discern between correct information and false and/or misleading information. Although these are not the only sources of accurate student aid information on the Internet, NASFAA suggests the following Web sites as starting points:

The US Department of Education’s “Student Aid on the Web” (http://studentaid.ed.gov)

Sites maintained and operated by an official state agency

Web sites of colleges, universities, or other postsecondary institutions

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrator’s Web site for parents and students, http://www.StudentAid.org

Of course, the best source of information is still the financial aid office on campus.

“Financial aid administrators on campus are most familiar with federal, state, local and institutional aid and have the ability to accurately determine the needs of each student based on his or her unique circumstance,” said Dallas Martin, president of NASFAA.

Financial aid administrators spend countless hours in training, learning the ins and outs of state, federal and institutional financial aid programs. Financial aid administrators are also bound by laws and regulations that give them a clear understanding of what can be done to help every student who needs financial assistance.

“No one has a more vested interest in seeing a student succeed than the school itself,” said Martin. “Students and families should know that they can trust the financial aid office to give them the most comprehensive and up-to-date financial aid information to help them reach their postsecondary goals.”

The National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) is a nonprofit membership organization that represents more than 12,000 financial aid professionals at nearly 3,000 colleges, universities and career schools across the country. Based in Washington, D.C., NASFAA is the only national association with a primary focus on student aid legislation, regulatory analysis, and training for financial aid administrators. Each year, members help more than 8 million students receive funding for postsecondary education. In addition to its member Web site at http://www.NASFAA.org, the Association offers a Web site with financial aid information for parents and students at http://www.StudentAid.org.

Editor: A full article on this subject, available for reprinting, is available at http://www.nasfaa.org/publications/2006/familiesbecareful113006.html.

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These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma.

But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty . From his unique double perspective-he’s a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans.

Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child’s financial future. You’ll discover, for instance, that:

* Student loans are NOT a necessary evil. Ordinary middle class families can- and must-find ways to avoid them, even without scholarships.

* College “rankings” are useless-designed to sell magazines and generate hype. If you trust one of the major guides when picking a college, you face a potential financial disaster.

* The elite graduate programs accept lots of people with non-elite bachelors degrees. So do America’s most selective employers. The name on a diploma ultimately won’t help your child have a more successful career or earn more money.

Zac can prove every one of those bold assertions – and more. No matter what your current financial situation, he has a simple message for parents: “RELAX! Your kid will be able to get a champagne education on a beer budget!”

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As you parent your college student consider what responsibility your child has in the pursuit of their college education. This responsibility should be discussed. After college graduation, who pays this debt? During the college years, will the student have any financial obligation? Parenting a college student is a golden opportunity to teach financial responsibility.

Financial lessons should begin before the child leaves for college. Middle School and High School is when the lessons should begin. Parents tend to worry about a student’s expenditures and this is an appropriate worry. If parents don’t teach financial lessons to their children while they are still living at home, disaster is waiting in the wings during the college years.

Lessons Taught in the Launching Years

Before leaving for college, parents need to discuss financial expectations with their college student, including the plan for how many years they expect to be in college. This affects the number of credits they will need to carry each semester/term. The usual is 15 credits. Students taking 9 credits are taking up to 6 years to get an undergraduate degree. So it is important to talk about this so there are no surprises.

Prior to that first semester in college, parents and children need to discuss money management and the budgeting of funds. What are the expectations? Will they have a parents credit card? Do they have their own credit card? I personally suggest that only debit cards be used. No credit cards.

The discussion of finances prevents any surprises on either side, and it encourages open communication. Money management is very difficult initially. A parent might consider a weekly allowance until the student learns to manage their money. If they get their allowance monthly, it is often spent the first week or two. The last 2 weeks is when the whining begins… So, it is imperative for parents to set boundaries and to provide clear guidance. It is nice to set the student up for success, too. Do everything you can think of to help the student be successful. Adapting to college and being responsible for yourself is a big transition.

In order for the college student to establish independence they need to learn to handle their finances proficiently. So much is learned during the college years that is not taught in a class room. College Students need to be reminded of what their goal is. The goal is a college degree, independence and a career that they enjoy.

Spending money foolishly increases their college debt and does nothing to build their resume. It only postpones financial freedom.

Keep Your Eye on the Prize

Parents must remind the college student to keep their eye on the prize, which is graduation. At times, 4 years, seems like an eternity but it flies by. It is so easy to forget that student loans are just that. Loans. Students need to be reminded of this and when possible they should limit their college debt.

Credit cards are fools gold. The credit card companies send college students credit cards constantly. My recommendation is to forbid the use of credit cards. Period. To a young person, there is no reality to a credit card. Adults have problems with credit cards so why would we expect a young adult to have a good handle on using a credit card. It is a very difficult concept to learn because you cannot see the debt. The student only sees the minimum payment.

A debit card has a monetary limit to withdrawals. If the student receives an allowance, the parent can make a deposit, and the student can make the withdrawal. Parents can consider placing some financial responsibility on the students by making them responsible for their spending money. If you ask them to pay for the books, I am afraid books will not be purchased because text books are over priced and hard to resell.

Somehow, parents need to teach their young that difficult lesson, “there are no free rides in life.” This applies to a college education. Especially during the summer, a student can be expected to earn their spending money for the following year. When they are responsible for earning their own spending money, there’s a good chance they will be more careful how they spend it.

When parenting a college student, one of the best lessons a parent can give their child is a sense of financial responsibility. It’s one of the best winning strategies for success in life.

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The changing economy is putting new demands on college budgets. Students are applying to five colleges to increase their chances of getting admitted and to identify the least expensive college.  Colleges are facing challenges in terms of reaching their enrollment goals because students are not making a firm decision right away.  Students need to have options when they consider the cost of earning a four year degree.  Students must consider the cost of travel to colleges that are far away.  This can lead to an inability to travel home frequently.

Colleges are obligated to meet the requirements of the accrediting agencies that approve their curriculum. Some college presidents are increasing the number of professors and research activities to ensure that their college is reaccredited.  Additional research can require millions of dollars in an institution’s resources.  Students will not enroll in a college that is not accredited.  Also, outstanding professors will not aspire to work in a college that is not highly regarded in various aspects of a colleges’ curriculum.  

Colleges are offering online courses to students who need an alternative education choice.  The students can benefit by eliminating the cost of traveling to the campus for a three hour course.  Some students enjoy the online courses because they can meet people who are in locations around the world.  The online courses are unique because they can be delivered at the time of the instruction and it can also be recorded for later student viewing.  Colleges gain an advantage because they can offer online courses of professors who are on sabbatical.  More online courses can be expected within the next five years.  As these courses expand they can reach the international audiences of students, instructors and researchers.  The possibilities for international exchanges of information are limitless.

College stability is essential to the competitive edge that the United States maintains in its workforce.  We are faced with the possibility of closing colleges who cannot keep up with their enrollment goals.  This is particularly worrisome for colleges that do not have large endowments.  College administrators must come up with a new paradigm regarding how they will work.  For example due to the recent oil crises several colleges created a four day work week.  College employees worked ten hours each day and did not work on Friday.  Difficult college budget challenges should inspire innovative approaches to educate future generations of leaders.

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