Florida College Access Network (FCAN), a state-level partner to Future Ready Collier, has launched its Cash for College initiative. The program encourages anyone thinking about post-high school education to finish their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). FAFSA is the most direct and inclusive way for postsecondary students to apply for and receive funding for school. This includes federal financial aid as well as consideration for other scholarships and grants.
Complete FAFSA to Get Financial Aid
FAFSA opens October 1 of each school year. It is advisable to complete the application as soon as possible for the best opportunities. Even students who are about to graduate from high school soon should finish their FAFSA, if they have not already. It is a large form, requiring a lot of information. However, help is available for any students who have questions. Also, sometimes students may unintentionally make errors in their application. It is important to know that those errors can be corrected.
On the Cash for College page, you can find information about FAFSA, how to complete it, how to correct any errors, and how to ask for help. College graduates have much higher average lifetime career earnings, and FAFSA is the best way to pay for that next degree or credential. In many instances, students who qualify for funding like Pell Grants finish school debt-free.
2020 or 2021 Collier County high school graduates completing the FAFSA between June 30th, 2021 and September 30th, 2021 are eligible to enter a contest. Visit the Cash for College page for more information and how to enter.
Future Ready Collier and Partners Want to Help
Future Ready Collier and its partners, including FutureMakers Coalition, the Collier County Public Schools, and organizations like Champions For Learning, are dedicated to helping students achieve their academic goals. Especially in the last year, decisions about education and career have been complicated. Uncertainty and worry make it hard for many students to know how to proceed, and where to go. In Southwest Florida, Florida SouthWestern State College and Florida Gulf Coast University strive to provide opportunities for as many students as possible. In addition, Lorenzo Walker Technical College offers programs that are a highly efficient way to secure a new career.
If education opens doors, then FAFSA is the key to the lock. FCAN, Future Ready Collier, and all involved want to put those keys in your hands.
Prepared by Caroline Ridgway of C1B1 Communications.