Do you need help with a plan to pay for college?

We can help you get money for college and make sure you don't miss a deadline.

Here is a basic timeline to follow - click here for more information.

September / October

   Have your child request college applications and financial aid information from schools in which they have an interest.

   Establish a summary sheet of deadlines for these schools.

   If you are not sure if you will qualify for financial aid, begin the process by calculating your Expected Family Contribution (EFC).

   Early decision and early action candidates need to estimate income and assets for financial aid purposes.

November

   Apply for scholarships in time to meet their deadlines.

   Apply for PINs for both student and parent through the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) website (www.FAFSA.ed.gov).

December

   Review everything above and complete all open items. January will bring a flurry of activity that will be slowed by incomplete items.

   Early decision and early action candidates should receive a financial aid award letter along with their acceptance. Be sure to review this letter.

January

   Collect and compile income and asset figures for you and your child that are necessary to complete the FAFSA and CSS Profile. Deadlines are around the corner.

February

   Most priority deadlines for the FAFSA and CSS Profile fall in early to middle February. Make sure the application is received in time to meet these deadlines.

March

   The Student Aid Report (SAR) should arrive anywhere from two to four weeks after the FAFSA is submitted. The EFC figure is printed on the front page at the upper right.

   Verify that the schools to which your child applied were forwarded the financial aid application.

April

   Admission decisions and financial aid award letters arrive this month.

   Read the aid award letters carefully and be sure to meet deadlines for accepting awards.

   If full need has not been met, or if your family's financial circumstances have changed, consider appealing the aid award.

   Your child should make a final decision, mail the enrollment form and deposit check to the final-choice college before May 1, the reply deadline for most colleges.

May

   If it will be difficult for your family to pay the EFC for the semester, it's time to start pursuing alternatives, such as parent loans or private loans, to close the financial aid gap.

   If student loans are part of the financial aid package, the college will send instructions about the loan application process.