MEFA Institute: Helping Families Correct and Update Their FAFSA
This webinar is for school counselors helping families and students with filing, fixing, or updating their FAFSA. Many families have already submitted their FAFSA but have experienced issues or technical bugs. Families all over the Commonwealth need help in the weeks ahead at FAFSA filing events and individual meetings and calls. This webinar starts off with a presentation on the latest guidance for correcting and updating the FAFSA followed by a Q&A and discussion about how we can help students in Massachusetts get over the finish line filing their FAFSA ahead of deadlines.
What to Expect When You Receive Your Financial Aid Offers and Guidance on Paying the College Bill
This webinar provides valuable guidance for high school seniors on understanding financial aid offers (which should start arriving in April) and different methods to pay for college costs. Topics include an overview of different types of financial aid, an explanation of how to calculate the balance due at each college, ways to pay the college bill, and how to make the college decision.
Navigating the Challenges and Delays of the New FAFSA
The new 2024-25 FAFSA is open, but some families have experienced difficulty navigating the application process. In this webinar for students and families, we review known issues, technical bugs, and workarounds (when available) of the new FAFSA. We also discuss the impact of the delayed FAFSA launch on financial aid deadlines and the release of financial aid offers, as well as the process of updating and correcting FAFSA data.
Understanding the FAFSA<sup>®</sup>
This webinar provides a detailed overview of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the main application for college financial aid. Learn step-by-step instructions on completing the application, helpful tips on answering questions correctly, and important next steps.
What to Know about the CSS Profile
This webinar introduces the nuts and bolts of the CSS Profile®, a financial aid application required by roughly 200 colleges, universities, and scholarship agencies across the country. Topics include tips on completing the Profile, specific financial and household data collected, and how colleges and universities use the application information.
The FAFSA and Early Action/Early Decision
If you’re applying to college Early Action/Early Decision, you won’t be able to submit the FAFSA at the same time you submit your application for admission, as the 2024-25 FAFSA won’t be available until December 2023. You’ll want to make sure you check the financial aid webpage of every college where you are applying early to find out about any other required financial aid applications they might require, such as the CSS Profile® or an institutional financial aid application. For more information on the new FAFSA, read our blog post, What You Need to Know about the New FAFSA
Ask an Expert All Your CSS Profile Questions
It’s time to apply for financial aid, and that means completing the FAFSA and (sometimes) the CSS Profile®. Join us for a Q&A webinar about the CSS Profile with expert financial aid administrator Mike Goodwin, Assistant Director of Student Financial Services at Williams College. If you haven’t started completing the form, it may be best to start before this webinar so you can bring your specific questions.
How to Create Your FSA ID
If you plan to submit the FAFSA to apply for college financial aid, you’ll need to create an FSA ID first, which allows you to begin the FAFSA process. And you need to create your FSA ID at least a few days before you start the FAFSA, so now’s a great time to check that step off your list. This webinar will walk you through the process of creating an FSA ID, explain who needs to create one, and discuss other things to know before completing the FAFSA.
Ayuda Económica para la Universidad 101
Este seminario web, presentado en español, ofrecerá información y claridad sobre todo el proceso de solicitud de ayuda económica para la universidad. Usted aprenderá sobre las solicitudes y los tipos de asistencia financiera, los factores que determinan la elegibilidad, las maneras en que las universidades determinan cuánta ayuda ofrecen y los detalles de las ofertas.
Using Veterans’ Education Benefits to Finance a College Education
Are you a student Veteran looking to understand how you can apply your service-connected benefits to your education? Join the Assistant Director of Veterans Upward Bound, Nick Charrette, for a deep dive into different GI Bill types, Chapters 30, 31, and 33, VR&E benefits, in-state tuition waivers, FAFSA, and more. Learn the best ways to calculate your own benefit entitlement and which pitfalls to avoid. Download the webinar slides to follow along