Tips to Maximize College Financial Aid

Are you looking for college financial aid to help pay for your sky-high tuition costs? No student or parent likes to hear the words “school loans” or “college debt,” but few understand how to secure that seemingly elusive financial aid assistance.

We have three quick tips from our Tucker College Solutions team to help you maximize college financial aid:

Find the Right Fit

Students need to discover which school is the best fit in order to receive the highest amount of financial aid.  This process is called student positioning. It involves several key strategies, including: Grade Point Average (GPA), AP scores or course difficulty, high school class ranking, standardized test scores (ACT/SAT), extracurricular activities, recommendations, application essay, diversification of student, and demonstrating interest. If this process feels daunting, our college advisors assist students with each step of this lengthy process.

Crack the Code to FAFSA

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as FAFSA, determines financial aid awards for many schools. The FAFSA is an important part of preparing for college for two simple reasons: it is free to apply and it assists about 15 million students with over $150 billion in tuition assistance. Unfortunately, as with any federal grant or loan, the application process can be tricky to navigate. Tucker College Solutions helps students “crack the code” to FAFSA and receive as much education funding as possible.

Hand’s Off the Retirement Savings!

Withdrawing from retirement savings is one of the worst mistakes a well-intentioned parent can make. Parents must be careful not to deplete their savings or they won’t have enough to meet their own needs in retirement. You must consider inflation, the fact that social security won’t be sufficient, and that withdrawing from an IRA or 401(k) before the age of 59 ½ leads to high fees and penalties. Thankfully, there are far superior ways in which parents will not have to sacrifice their own futures for their children’s.

If you need help in maximizing college financial aid, give Tucker College Solutions a call at 720-402-3333 to set up an appointment.