10 Things To Do During The Spring Semester (Financial Aid Edition)

It's that time again, the Spring Semester is upon us. For some of you, this will be your last semester before graduating while for others its time to start preparing to get next year's Financial Aid forms completed. Here's a list of the 10 things you should be doing whether your headed out or continuing on.

1. Complete Your FAFSA

StudentAid.gov / Via StudentAid.gov

The 2015-16 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (aka FAFSA) is available to complete online at www.fafsa.ed.gov starting January 1st. Temple students are asked to complete it by March 1st.

*Did You Know: You can complete the FAFSA using estimated income and update it once you have filed your tax return.

2. Complete Your State Grant Application

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If you are a PA resident you may be eligible for a PHEAA PA State Grant. In order to find out if you qualify, you will need to complete the State Grant application at www.pheaa.org. The deadline is May 1st.

3. Apply For Scholarships Offered By Your College

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Beginning in January colleges within Temple University will post scholarship opportunities for returning students. Make sure to check your TUMail or contact your college directly to find out more about the type of scholarships they offer.

4. Apply For Outside Scholarships

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If you haven't heard, there's pretty much a scholarship for anything. That's right, FREE MONEY just waiting for you. At most all you have to do is write an essay. Don't miss out on these opportunities. You can start here: templesfs.wordpress.com and you can also check out College Greenlight and FastWeb which are just some of several scholarship search engine based websites. Make sure to also check with you employer, places of worship and municipalities for scholarship opportunities.

5. Budget

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It's not easy, we know it. But there are benefits to saving and spending your money wisely. Now is a good time to start looking for more affordable housing if you are living off-campus and putting money aside for Summer classes or for the next Fall semester. Its also a good time to start researching for when is the best time of year to purchase certain items, which companies offer student discounts and reviewing your Student Loan Borrowing History.

6. Research Different Loan Options Before Signing Your Name

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Not all students can pay for their college expenses out of pocket or receive enough grants/scholarships to help outset costs. In these particular situations borrowing loans may be the only option. You want to make sure that you do proper research before signing on the dotted line and remember that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is. Some of the options you have after receiving your Subsidized and Unsubsidized Student loans are Parent PLUS Loans (credit-based loan for parents of dependent students), Private Student Loans (students may need to have a creditworthy co-signer for these loans) and Graduate PLUS Loans (a credit-based loan for Graduate students) .

There are even some institutions that provide no-interest (you read that right) loans.

7. Know Where You Stand Academically

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Academic Progress not only determines when you graduate but if you will be eligible for Financial Aid as well. If your not doing so well in your courses, now might be a good time to meet with an Academic Advisor, look for tutoring and review the Academic Progress Policy for Financial Aid.

8. Meet With A Financial Aid Counselor

Larry Bridges Jr. / Via Twitter: @TempleSFS

The Financial Aid Counselors in the Office of Student Financial Services are here to help assist you with all your financial aid related questions. From budgeting, costs, to information about different forms of financial aid and how and where to apply for them, we are here to help. The office is open Monday - Thursday (8:30am-5:00pm) and Friday (8:30am-1:00pm). Feel free to stop in, write us an email or call us. Our contact information can be found here sfs.temple.edu/contact-us

9. Shameless Plug

TempleSFS

We have ventured into the world of Social Media. Find us, follow us, like us, comment. Its an easy way to not miss important financial aid announcements throughout the Academic Year!

10. And Last But Not Least Our Graduates

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Congratulations you did it! Did you borrower student loans? If yes, don't panic. Repayment will begin 6 months after your last date of attendance and you will have several repayment and postponement options available to you. If you haven't done so all ready, head on over to www.studentloans.gov to complete your "Exit Counseling". Here you can find out what your loan repayment options are (income based repayment, standard, etc.), when you can defer your loans if needed, and other options that will help you avoid defaulting on your student loans.