We can all agree that college is not cheap. Figuring out a clear plan for you to achieve the goal of finishing takes a great deal of time, energy, and finances. Choosing how to invest your money is something to seriously think about, and above all—life happens. With all the people who start college or career training, more than half do not finish. We encourage those who haven’t finished to go ahead and try again. Here’s why:

My sister, who is 30 years old and a mother of two, decided to go back to college to finish her degree in Human Resources – Yay, sister! After the excitement subsided, the reality of life sunk in and it came time to review resources available to assist her with the college journey. First, we talked about financial aid options, and then we went over admissions. After all that, she had questions about other resources that could assist with childcare. That made me think, every postsecondary stud...

It is important to know that there are many options underneath the umbrella of postsecondary education – which is great because one option may work for one but not for another. Some prefer the classroom setting; others prefer hands-on training, or a hybrid of both. The questions below are a great way to gauge what postsecondary path aligns with your preferred style of learning.

From trying to decipher financial aid and college forms to remembering important deadlines, it was different for us, mainly because we didn’t have anyone in our family navigate this pathway before. The areas I wish I had assistance with were Admissions, Financial Aid and the Enrollment Process. Although I didn’t have someone to help guide me through the college process, I will try and be THAT person for YOU!

Raise your hand if you ever forgot or came close to forgetting something ------------ me too! For the most part, being semi-forgetful is okay but there some things you just cannot forget, like important dates and deadlines. In the realm of financial aid, dates and deadlines are vital, especially if you want to receive your funds on time – or at all!

You spent time prepping for the FAFSA and NOW you actually completed it! Yay! Now what? Within 3 to 5 business days, your Student Aid Report (SAR) is sent to the e-mail provided on the FAFSA or via postal mail (depending on how you submitted the FAFSA). The Student Aid Report or SAR gives you some basic information about your eligibility for federal student aid and lists your answers to the questions on your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

“Go to school, pay attention and do your school work” was the never-ending mantra my parents chanted during my upbringing. For some time, my naiveté allowed me to think that that is all one has to do in order to be successful in school, but there are more variables to the 3-part formula my parents instilled in me – grit being one of the variables.