ou know you want to go to college

ou know you want to go to college, and you know that college can be expensive. So how are you going to pay for it? More than half of the students who attend college receive some sort of financial aid to help meet costs. This section is designed to provide you with some of the information you need to know about financial aid.

A few thoughts to get us started:

There is a lot of financial aid available. More than $90 billion dollars was awarded last year.

Finding and applying for that aid will require some effort by you.

There is help along the way

Help? What help?

Check out these resources:

Every college has a financial aid office, and once you actually begin applying for admission to colleges, you can start to take advantage of the expertise offered by those offices.

You can receive answers to your specific questions, either through the GAcollege411 website (Go to the "Paying for College" section and click on the "Ask an Expert" link in the bottom left corner of the page.) or by calling 1-800-505-4732. Our professional financial aid consultants are on hand to serve you and your parents.

You also can get answers and good advise by talking with your parents, visiting your public library, and searching the Internet. You'll find some helpful Web addresses on Page 130.

You'll find that there are plenty of companies that will offer to do your research for you - for a price. The resources listed above are all free. All that is required is that little effort on your part. Take advantage of the free help that is available, and save your money. The extra cash will come in handy when you're in college!

If you are a student in middle or high school, you will need to talk to your guidance counselor soon. It's important. Your counselor has a tremendous amount of information and experience, and he or she can help you get off to a good start as you begin to search for financial aid.

GAcollege411.org is the No. 1 resource for Georgia residents seeking financial aid for education beyond high school. The Georgia Student Finance Commission (GSFC) administers the GAcollege411.org website which is a free, one-stop, online resource that helps Georgia students plan, apply, and pay for college. GAcollege411 includes basic information about financial aid and is the official source of information about all state-funded scholarships, grants, and loans available to Georgia students. Just go to the homepage and click on the "Paying for College" tab at the top of the page.

In General. . .

By the time you reach your senior year in high school, you will be deeply involved in the financial aid process. However, there are some things you need to do long before that.

Save. If your parents started saving for your college education when you were born, that's fantastic. Even if that didn't happen, and even if you are already in middle school or high school, there's still time for you and your parents to save a good chunk of money for college - especially if you have a summer or after-school job. Check into the Georgia Higher Education 529 Savings Plan (information is available at GAcollege411.org) and Series EE Savings Bonds. Remember, every dollar you save now is a dollar you don't have to borrow later.

Study. If you live in Georgia, you have probably heard of the HOPE Scholarship, which is administered by GSFC. HOPE helps pay for your education at a Georgia college - if you graduate from a Georgia high school with a B average in core subjects. You certainly should set your sights on HOPE, especially if you are still in middle school. There are other scholarships that also reward academic achievement. Study hard, make good grades, and apply for academic scholarships. Even if you don't get all the scholarships you apply for, you'll be a better student and better prepared for success in college.

Research. By visiting the GAcollege411.org website and reviewing pages 122-123 of this guide, you will become familiar with some of the major sources of financial aid provided by the state and by the federal government. In addition, there are probably many other sources of financial aid right in your own local community. Maybe the company your mother works for offers scholarships to the children of employees. Maybe the civic club your father belongs to offers scholarships to local students. Religious organizations, chambers of commerce, and private foundations are other possible sources. Talk to your parents, your counselor, your librarian, or the financial aid officer at your local college about the special financial aid opportunities available in your community. Students should begin looking for scholarships no later than the 10th grade.

Note: Many hospitals and doctors' offices offer financial aid. See "Hospitals in Georgia" listing in this guide. Professional health care organizations also have many resources to help those who are seeking financial assistance for the individual health occupation they represent. National organizations can put you in touch with local chapters. Check specific career pages for addresses.

Specifically. . .

There are some specific steps students should take at each grade level.

9th Grade:

Talk with your counselor about enrolling in college preparatory courses.

Begin exploring careers. Talk with counselors and research in the library and on the GAcollege411.org website. (Go to the homepage and click on the "Career Info" tab.) Also, try to arrange interviews with people who are actually working in the fields that interest you.

10th grade:

Take the PSAT (it's free for 10th graders in Georgia). This test will help you develop good test-taking skills.

11th Grade:

In the fall, attend College/PROBE fairs. This is a great opportunity to talk face-to-face with college representatives about their academic programs, campus life, and financial assistance offerings. If possible, you should also arrange visits to colleges you might want to attend.

Take the PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test (NMSQT).

Find out the deadline for taking the SAT and/or ACT. You'll want to take the test in the spring of your junior year, and possibly in the fall of your senior year as well.

Ask your counselor, or the continuing education department at a local college, to recommend a good SAT preparation course. There is a test preparation available on GAcollege411.org. Look for one that emphasizes test-taking strategies, rather than simple drills. When you go to the course, be sure to take the results of your PSAT and ask the instructor to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses.

If you scored pretty well on the PSAT and/or NMSQT, you might start to get a lot of mail from colleges by the second half of your junior year in high school. This is not junk mail - don't throw it away. These schools have seen your test scores, and they are interested in you as a prospective student. Look through the material carefully; chances are, you'll find some good information about scholarships and other financial assistance.

By the end of your junior year in high school, you should be making some pretty definite decisions about college. You should have a short list of schools to which you might want to apply. Contact each and request an application for admissions packet and an application for financial aid packet. Read over both packets carefully.

12th Grade:

The late summer and fall of your senior year is the time to actually begin applying for admission to colleges and for scholarships. It's also the time to apply for financial aid. January 1 is a very big date. It's the first day you can complete and send in the Free Application for Federal Student Financial Aid (FAFSA). Send in your FAFSA as early as possible. We'll talk much more about this later.

Remember the financial aid process, forms, and deadlines may differ from school to school. Pay close attention to the requirements of each school, and pay really close attention to deadlines.