Can some one Help with Financial Aid ?

I am new to all of this Financial Aid stuff and i have couple of questions.

1. To apply for Financial Aid do u have to choose and be accepted at a college , or do you apply for Financial Aid before u get accepted?

2. What happens if a family just bought a house about 1 year ago but work salaryy is less so they are making less? How does a student pay for college?

I am new to this first one in my family to go to college and idon'tt really have any info on this and everythingn online is so confusing. Thank you for helping me.

Please don'tt spam this or post random junk i will report u if you do.

Some great advice above, don't listen to me unless you really need to. How you pay for college depends on a great many things so I can't really go into detail.

If you want the most aid, it's best to show that you are poor, and since you're young, you have to show that your family is poor. But if you are married, they don't count what your parents make, just you and your spouse, which makes more financial aid available to you. The same is true if you join the military, you are considered independent, and only your income is considered.

Speaking of the military, there are some options there. One enlistment can get your college pretty much paid for considering the new GI Bill benefits. If you don't want to wait a few years, consider the national guard, there is a trifecta there, by joining the guard, 1. get the extra finaid because you are independent. 2. You get the limited GI Bill benefits, but it's still several hundred dollars a month and 3. you get tuition assistance or reimbursement which in some states is up to 100% of your tuition. There are other little bonuses too, like free clep tests, and of course your national guard paycheck which is comparable to that of a part time job.

Of course with the current conflicts our country is in, being in the national guard may require you to put your college education on hold to spend some time in a warm place.there is still another option where the military can help you pay for college, ROTC. The amounts vary, but it can pay for almost all of your college. If you want to seal the deal, join both ROTC and the National Guard, you get everything paid for and they won't send you to war before you graduate. And the military itself is a great educational experience unlike anything you will find in the civilian world.

That said, the military isn't for everyone, it really is a personal choice you have to make for yourself. So consider looking for an inexpensive college to begin with. You major is important and you want to make sure it's a good school. There are many out there to choose from, and I reccomend the Unversity of North Dakota. Sure it's cold there, and it's not that well known of a college, but it's a pretty wise choice and I'll tell you why. Firstof all, it's a quality school. Good professors, plenty of resources and everything you need. 2nd, it's cheap, tuition there is really quite low even if you are out of state, besides, all you have to do is apply for residencey after a year and it becomes even cheaper. 3rd, it's cheap to live there, rent is low, groceries don't cost too much, and you aren't overwelmed with expensive places to spend your money. That 3rd one is also why you will have plenty of time to study, not too many distractions. There are plenty of parties, sure, but it's not exactly a party school. It's also probably the best aviation school on the planet. The school has a really good placement program and a great record of very successful alumni.

That's just one example, there are many quality affordable schools out there, so if you aren't set on one school, do some bargain shopping. It's something most students don't really consider.

Hope that helps.

1. Apply as close to January 1st of your senior as you can. This means if you are a senior now you will apply for FAFSA after January 1st 2009 whether you've been accepted or not.

2. The information on your FAFSA will reflect the income of the previous year. So if your family isn't making a lot in 2008 they will see that and you won't be penalized.

Belie had a good answer, but also check with you School guidance counselor (high school or college). They should be able to help you.

Also sometimes high schools will have a Financial Aid night after school where they will give you information about Financial Aid.