College financial aid deadlines quickly approaching

Raleigh, N.C. — Financial aid deadlines for college students are fast approaching, some as early as March 1.

Wake Technical Community College is one of many sites hosting a FAFSA Day this Saturday to help students and parents with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

Regina Huggins, Wake Tech's dean of financial aid, says it's important to meet the priority filing deadlines for the grants and loans.

“If you miss that deadline, it's likely you've missed out on some free aid,” she said. “You do have to research. Do your homework. You're purchasing a product.”

It will be easier to complete the FAFSA for those who have filed their taxes. Those who haven’t can still apply by estimating their tax information. They should then update the FAFSA once they’ve filed.

Noah Boyd, who works as student ambassador at Wake Tech, filled out his student aid applications with his mother and sister, who all decided to attend college at the same time.

“We support each other. If I’ve just taken a biology class, my mom is taking one. I’ll help her with that,” he said.

Boyd says he is getting ready to graduate from Wake Tech and hopes to transfer to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill to study psychology.

“I'm coming out of this debt-free, thankfully, because of the way the financial aid works,” he said. “It's very, very helpful.”

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"Then they go $150,000 in debt to earn degrees in social work, communications, women's studies, and liberal arts, which will give them just enough skills to run hot water through ground-up beans. This is an unsustainable model that will collapse at some point." Pseudonym

Excellent point!!! Frankly, if Big Gov is going to help pay for education, they should provide financial incentives for only engineering and science degrees. Real science - not social science.

timexliving
February 22, 2013 6:39 p.m.

"It's not a right, to go to college. If you can't afford to go, you shouldn't go. Just like its not a right to buy a house, you buy if you can afford it." uscnnc

This comment above makes no sense and makes me angry, quite frankly. If a smart person cannot afford to go to college, and they don't go, they won't be able to get a good enough paying job to purchase this home that.. "they cannot afford".. because.. they did not go to college. This person is saying only those with enough money can get ahead in this country...I've got choice words for you, but they won't pass the guidelines here...

snowl
February 22, 2013 6:03 p.m.

Balderdash! Just cash n some stock or borrow from your parents like Mitt Romney said.

mtnmama
February 22, 2013 5:34 p.m.

Wow, quite a bunch of education experts her.e I am just glad that they spend their time in these forums and leave the real world to better informed people.

eddybal
February 22, 2013 5:23 p.m.

We as a country need to totally rethink how we approach education, from pre-K all the way up to doctorate degrees. Spending $10,000 per year per child, then they can't read their own high school diplomas. Then they go $150,000 in debt to earn degrees in social work, communications, women's studies, and liberal arts, which will give them just enough skills to run hot water through ground-up beans. This is an unsustainable model that will collapse at some point.