1. You CAN Afford College Felice Rollins The College Place – Northern Virginia

2. What is Financial Aid?  Financial aid refers to funds provided to students and families to help pay for postsecondary educational expenses

3. Expected Family Contribution (EFC)  Amount family can reasonably be expected to contribute, but not what the family will pay to the college  EFC is the same regardless of what college you attend  Two components:  Parent contribution  Student contribution

4. What is Financial Need  The difference between the cost of attendance and the EFC  Need will vary based on cost of different colleges  Your financial need determines how much aid you may receive  Colleges may not be able to offer enough aid to meet your financial need

5. Types of Financial Aid  Scholarships  Grants  Loans  Employment

6. Federal Aid The student must be one of the following to receive federal financial aid: U. S. citizen U. S. national U. S. permanent resident (I-151, I-551, I- 551C) Possess an I-94 with designation refugee, asylum granted, Cuban-Haitian Entrant, Victim of human trafficking, or parolee

7. Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)  A standard form that collects demographic and financial information about the student and family  Should be filed electronically  Available in English and Spanish  For 2012-2013 academic year, the FAFSA may be filed beginning January 1, 2012  Colleges may set FAFSA filing deadlines

8. Scholarships  Money you can earn based on your academics, athletics or other skills  Finding scholarships is a process which requires organization and dedication  Scholarships can make the difference between where you WANT to go and where you HAVE to go

9. What else can you do?  Talk to your family about your desire to attend college  Research college costs  SAVE, SAVE, SAVE!!!

10. THANK YOU! The College Place – Northern Virginia 13895 Hedgewood Drive, Suite 225 Woodbridge, VA 22193 703.680.3729 www.ecmcfoundation.org