by Rachel Engel, WOSC freshman
Sometimes, the best things in life are free.
With the cost of college rising, students sometimes find themselves
with a large tuition bill, and seemingly no way to pay it. While
there are certain stipulations on some types of financial aid, the
details that are calculated when determining eligibility so widely
differ between applicants that every student should apply.
“Without applying, you’ll never know if you were eligible for aid or
not,” Myrna Cross, director of financial aid, said.. “No two
students are the same, even siblings from the same household.”
Students should first fill out the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid, or FAFSA, located at http://fafsa.ed.gov, and fill out
the information using the previous years’ tax information. The
information, which is then sent to the financial aid office at
Western Oklahoma State College, will determine the student’s
eligibility for receiving the federal Pell grant and other types of
aid. Students should be careful when typing in the web address,
because using a .com ending instead of a .gov will navigate the
student to a form of the FAFSA that charges them to apply for aid.
“The application for aid is free, that’s why it’s called the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid,” Cross said.
Students may think that they or their parents make too much money to
receive government grants but may be passing up an opportunity for
free money for college.
“The criteria changes every year,” Cross said. “That’s why it’s a
good idea to apply every new tax year. A student who didn’t qualify
in a previous year could qualify this year due to the changes made
to the requirements.”
With the application being free, students have nothing to lose by
applying for federal aid.
“Many students who think they would not qualify for aid do actually
receive it,” Janet Glenn, assistant director of financial aid, said.
For students who do not end up qualifying for the federal Pell
grant, work-study programs and student loans are also available.
While some students are wary of stacking up debt while in school,
loans can be a helpful way to make it through college.
“Student loans are a way for a student to put themselves through
college when they are not eligible for other federal aid,” Glenn
said. “Getting a loan to pay for college is better than not
attending at all.”
The College Work-Study program was designed to give students a way
to have a job and earn a paycheck, but that would work with their
schedules and ensure good time management while in school.
“To qualify for work-study, you have to show a financial need, even
after loans and grants,” Delight Dehorty, financial aid specialist,
said. “Instead of giving students the extra money, it comes in the
form of a paycheck.”
The program receives high praise from students.
“Participating in the work-study program makes going to college so
much easier,” sophomore work-study, Lindsey Dysart, said. “They set
my hours around my classes, and I have nights, weekends and holidays
off. Plus, I’m earning valuable work experience. It’s a great
system.”
Early enrollment for the spring semester is on Nov. 14 and 15, and
getting a jump-start on the paperwork for financial aid will take
some of the stress off of students.
“When students apply early, they’re not having to rush through the
FAFSA, or trying to hurry up and get their loan processed before
tuition is due,” Cross said.
For more information about the types of financial aid available
students can stop by the Financial Aid Office.
