College Timeline for High School Seniors

Senior year:

September – October

• Attend college fairs to pick up literature and ask questions.
• Contact the schools you are interested in attending to get information on possible majors, cost of attendance, financial aid and scholarships.
• Sign up for and take the SAT/ACT.  Have scores sent to colleges of interest.
• Schedule appointments and visit colleges of interest.
• Complete and submit your college admissions applications.

November – December

• Do research on scholarships with your guidance counselor, at the library and on the internet. Scholarships are given for good academic performance, for your major, for volunteer work, sports participation, extracurricular activities, religious affiliation and by employers (yours and parents). Make a note of all scholarship application deadlines.
• Apply for Federal PIN number at www.pin.ed.gov.  Both student and parent need their own to file the FAFSA.

January – February

• As soon as possible after January 1^st file the FAFSA with either estimated or completed tax return information.
• Check with financial aid office for deadlines to qualify for the most financial aid possible and find out what additional paperwork is needed.

March -April

• After the FAFSA is filed, you will receive the Student Aid Report (SAR) in the mail. The federal processor will also send the SAR electronically to your school listed on the FAFSA. You should review and correct information online if necessary.
• Students should review and compare financial aid packages from different schools.

May – June

• Students should submit a tuition deposit to the college of their choice and notify the financial aid office that they are accepting the financial aid award package. Apply for federal student loans.

July – August

• Finalize payment plans or find additional sources or funding such as alternative loans if need to make up the difference between the total cost of education and school’s financial aid package.