Free Money by John Around Him (Write a conclusion)

Free money: The words almost take your breath away. For the average college student,
the idea is especially appealing. The weight of college tuition, in combination with the cost of
feed, rent, and other living expenses, makes the climb toward educational success appear almost
impossible. However, assistance in the form of financial aid is available to help lighten the load.
Financial aid is money to help pay for college tuition or other expenses while going to
college. Financial aid comes in an array of programs, from federal and state funding to
scholarships. Federal financial aid is the source most students use. It is available in the form of
grants, student loans, and the Federal Work-Study Program. A grant really is free money, while a
student loan has to be repaid when a student either completes college or stops going. The Federal
Work-Study Program allows students to earn money while attending college. In 2008, the budget
for Federal Pell Grants was about $15 billion. In that same year, the student loan budget was
$72.8 billion, and the work-study programs budget was $980 million.
To apply for federal financial aid, students must fill out the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), available at your colleges financial aid office or online (Google FAFSA).
In order to receive aid, a student must meet the following criteria: be a U.S. citizen or eligible
non-citizen of the United States with a valid social security number; have a high school diploma
or have passed the General Education Development (GED) test; and be enrolled in a degree
program, taking a minimum of six credits. Men between the ages of eighteen and twenty-six
must have registered in the selective service.
Using the information provided in the FAFSA, the federal government calculates each
applicants Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is calculated with a formula based on
the students income or, if the student is a dependent, the familys income and assets. For
students who are dependents but do not receive financial support from their parents, the EFC can
be a problem because counting family income might make the student ineligible. However, that
is the formula. Other factors include the number of family members in the household and number
of family members in college. Last year, I applied for financial aid but did not qualify because,
according to the financial aid office at my college, I made too much money. Nevertheless, I will
continue to apply for financial aid.
Students should always apply for financial aid, but many do not. Much of the money
available is not used because students do not know about it or fill out the proper forms. Looking
around and going to your colleges financial aid office is worth the time required because there
really is free money. For example, there are scholarships for health-care programs, for business
programs, for graduate programs, to name just a few. My goal is to finish my two-year degree
and transfer to a four-year college. In order to do this, I need to have a plan and prepare myself
by researching schools to find out which ones are suitable for me. Then, I can find out what
courses I need to take to graduate and to transfer with as many credits as possible. I wont do this
alone: I will take advantage of the various services available at my college, including meeting
with the adviser. I will apply to many sources of financial aid, because getting my degree will be
very expensive.