Financial Aid Information Night for Parents of De Smet High School Seniors
On January 20 at 7:15 p.m. there will be a financial aid information night for parents and at De Smet High School. The presentation is not limited to just senior parents and students. Parents of underclassmen may find information useful for future financial planning
Parents and students alike need to be aware of two important aspects when planning for education beyond high school. Whether a public or private college, community college, or technical institute, students will need to consider the procedures used by that school for applying for both admissions and financial aid.
There are procedures that must be followed to be admitted to any post-secondary school. Admissions offices usually ask for a formal application, a high school transcript, a physical at some point, and perhaps references or letters of recommendation. The school counselor can obtain and provide assistance in completing the necessary form for admissions.
All four-year and most technical institute programs ask that the students furnish ACT or SAT scores. The ACT test is an achievement test that is administered independently of the public school, at student expense. Students obtain registration packets, study guides, and sample tests from the school counselor’s office. Most senior students have already completed the ACT at this time.
Financing of post-secondary education is probably the greatest concern of both parents and students. Although schools may vary to some degree in providing financial aid, in every school the process begins the same. Students and parents complete a family financial need assessment obtained from the school counselor or via the internet. Parents will need to help the student fill out this form as it calls for information about family income and expenses that students may not have access to.
Parents doing these forms for the first time are advised to start early. You will want this document to the administering agencies as soon as possible after January 1, 2005. The catch is that the information needs to match the figures for the 2004 income tax return. This necessitates an early IRS calculation, not necessarily filing, for the parents of any student applying for financial aid.
The counselor at De Smet High School is wiling to help students, parents, and guardians with procedures for both admissions and financial aid. Please feel free to call 854-3423 or come to the school for assistance.