Improving your Chances of Free Money for College

States that have been in budget crisis mode for a couple of years now started off taking control back by first cutting our public universities loose in a way that forced them to turn to their students to make up for the shortfall. Now that they realize that bigger tuition fees aren't really enough to fill the holes in their budgets, they're turning to cutting off financial aid. In some cases, they are turning down students whom they have already promised aid to. All of this places families in uncharted waters as far as funding college goes. At this time, states, on average, spend about three-quarters of a billion dollars on aid to needy students in college. That works out on average to an aid package that makes up about 7.5% of your average impoverished student's need for college. If you are thinking that 7.5% doesn't sound like much, several states are considering cutting that down by half. Texas, Illinois, New York - all of them have their own numbers by which to operate. Some states are actually taking back the aid packages they have already granted. Your only hope then would be to find new ways to qualify for free money for college. Here's what puts you in the running for free aid.

If you go by the official last date they publish for when you need to apply for the FAFSA for state aid, it can look like you have until the start of summer, in June. That's not really how it goes in the real world though. States like Tennessee, South Carolina and Oregon announced way back in February that they wanted your FAFSA, ASAP. It's first-come-first-served now until whatever free money for college they have is all disbursed. Families have usually waited until tax filing day to get ready to file their FAFSA. All that is changing now. Just use estimates of your  W-2 and 1099 forms and include your last paystub to it applying as early as possible. Put it off any further and all the money could be gone.

Usually, when you get your financial aid package intimation letter, the first figure you look for is how much free money for college you're getting from the state. State aid is becoming quite difficult to rely on now. They may give it to you or they may change their minds. You probably want to ignore the state aid number you see on your letter. Just look for the college that offers to give you the most help possible with tuition and fees out of its own kitty instead of relying on an outside source such as the government. Times have changed; you can no longer look at your state aid package like it meant something. The colleges' grants are all you have to rely on. If you can't find that kind of free money for college from the institution that you plan to attend, put in a request for work-study. Colleges and the federal government give students opportunities for part-time work. Ask for a community service job and you'll probably get what you ask for.