On Oct. 15 Poway High school offered its seniors to attend a Zoom conference at 6 PM for information on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid to help guide students with college financial aid. 

College application season can be a stressful time, and the importance of filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is essential for those who are planning to attend community college or a 4-year University. 

The process can seem complicated for seniors, especially first-generation students which is why on Oct. 15, Poway offered a Financial Aid Night for all families. The Financial Aid Night has been recorded and posted in the counseling section on the Poway Instructure page for families to refer to while applying for FAFSA. 

“Everyone can use help paying for college, right? If you are attending college next year, you should definitely fill out the FAFSA application for financial aid, even if you think you’re not eligible. You never know, you might be surprised and it’s an hour of your time!” Counselor Jamie Brown said.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a way for upcoming college freshmen to be able to afford their dream school through grants or loans. If eligible for grants, FAFSA will assist those students.

The application is free to fill out on the fafsa.ed.gov website, but it is important that seniors get the application done before the due date March 2. Colleges and Universities use the FAFSA to figure out how to give or loan its students for financial aid. 

Students who are under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) and non-citizens are eligible to apply for the California Dream Act Application. The California Dream Act Application (CADAA) works the same way as the application for FAFSA, and instructions for both are on the Canvas page for counseling.

 By going on the dream.csac.ca.gov website, students are able to apply for financial aid; instructions for the application process is on the Poway Instructure Counseling page. 

If students are not eligible for financial aid or want more financial support they can visit scholarship websites such as Fastweb.com, Scholarships.com, Bigfuture.collegeboard.org, and Careeronestop.org for even more scholarship opportunities.

Seniors  who attended the Financial Aid Night believe that the information was helpful; however, some still feel that they need more information on how to fill out the Application. “Financial Aid Nightwas helpful for providing scholarship links and deadlines. However, I expected a step by step instruction on the specifics of filling it out,” senior Kaitlyn Gonzalez said. 

Senior Elan Nguyen also would have liked more help. “I came to financial aid night in hopes of getting some helpful tips and pointers about how to complete the FAFSA. However, I was severely disappointed because there was no clear instruction on how to fill out the application,” Nguyen said.

Many of the counselors are willing to schedule appointments with students and provide them with resources. Due to social distancing guidelines, the in-person financial aid assistance workshop will not take place this year in November.Career and College Guidance Technician,Jaime Brown, is available to help students start the FAFSA application. To make an appointment, email [email protected].