Laredo College Financial Aid Advisor offers recommendations for new and current college students

LAREDO, Tex. (KGNS) – Laredo College Financial Aid Advisor offers advice and recommendations for current and new college students.

A college education is an expensive sacrifice that takes years of hard work and planning.

Despite schools only being back in session for over a month, deadlines are on the horizon for those graduating high school with plans of continuing their studies.

Nelson Cazares, a sophomore studying computer science, knew very little about applying to college and much less about ways to pay for it.

“I feel like if I was doing it by myself I maybe wouldn’t have done it. Maybe I would’ve gotten discouraged and just said ‘Oh no’ and tried to pay for it myself,” said Cazares.

Cazares, with the help of the financial aid office, was guided through the application process.

His initial inexperience with it is a common rite of passage for students, especially with the ever-changing financial aid portal.

Financial Aid Advisor at Laredo College, Steven Aguilar, expands that one of the biggest hurdles he saw for students applying this year was the use of the very application that is meant to help them.

This is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid also known as FAFSA.

“The rollout of the FAFSA was delayed, and the change was a major re-vamp for FAFSA. So, it took a little while for parents and students to get to do the FAFSA application. It was very difficult,” said Aguilar.

Aguilar adds that they went to the high schools to personally enroll students.

He now recommends that those interested in enrolling in college begin to prepare by creating a FAFSA ID and becoming familiar with the platform.

“That’s what they need to log in, an electronic signature. Same with the parents to get ahead, the parents should have a username and password so they can be ready. You already have that in a secure place because that’s what you’re going to need to apply,” Aguilar continued.

Aguilar also recommends parents gather information and forms like tax returns.

The FAFSA application is estimated to open on Tuesday, October 1, where students can have access to grants, work-study opportunities and loans.

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