| The college application process can be one of the | | | | form online, or find it in your counselor's office. This |
| most stressful in a person's life, and for many, the | | | | application will ask for copies of different documents, |
| process goes on for nearly a year. There are visits | | | | like your parents' W-2 forms and your driver's license |
| to colleges and countless interviews, talks with | | | | or state identification card. Allow yourself enough |
| guidance and career counselors, long study sessions | | | | time to find the documents you need and don't wait |
| for the SAT, and the attempt to define "who am I" | | | | until the last minute to fill out your FAFSA. |
| in the form of a transcript and an essay. It is truly | | | | In response to the FAFSA, you'll get a student aid |
| one of life's most overwhelming phases, but at the | | | | report, also known as the SAR. This will tell you |
| end, you're likely to be rewarded with that most | | | | exactly how much student aid you qualify for, and |
| desired award: the acceptance letter. After the initial | | | | whether or not you qualify for the Pell Grant. Most |
| celebration, a sense of shock will set in, as your mind | | | | students seeking aid do qualify, it's usually just a |
| frantically races to figure out how you're going to | | | | matter of the amount. |
| pay for college. | | | | To apply for the Pell Grant, you need to have been |
| For most students requiring financial aid, the first step | | | | accepted to a college, and you may not already have |
| is to consider applying for a Pell Grant. Unlike student | | | | a bachelor's degree. This is very important. You have |
| loans, grants do not have to be paid back, making | | | | to receive your student aid report and receive an |
| them the most desirable form of financial aid. Unlike | | | | offer from a college before applying for the grant. |
| scholarships, Pell Grants are not awarded based upon | | | | Do not apply before figuring out which school you'd |
| academic achievement, making acceptance more | | | | like to go to, as you may have to redo the process |
| likely. Once you've been accepted to college, it's time | | | | if you change your mind. The application is due by |
| to apply. So, how exactly do you go about applying | | | | May of the year in which you're starting college, but |
| for a Pell Grant? | | | | it pays not to wait, since funding is dispersed in the |
| The first step is to fill out the FAFSA. This is your | | | | order of applications received. Knowing how to apply |
| financial aid eligibility form, and will tell the government | | | | for a Pell Grant is not difficult, it just requires planning |
| exactly how much aid you need. You can request the | | | | and organization. Good luck! |