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The FAFSA uses the income taxes filed with the IRS two years prior, said Anita Kermes, director of financial aid at California State University, Sacramento. So if the student is applying for the 2019/2020 school year, the FAFSA would look at the income from 2017.

David said there can be problems if a family’s financial situation has changed since that time. In those cases, the financial aid office can help.

The financial aid advisers may be able to make professional judgements as long as there is documentation about a student’s family’s financial situation.

“Sometimes, they have to write a statement in detail about their situation,” David said.

Colleges also coordinate with high schools to help students and their families fill out the FAFSA and answer questions.

Lori Tanner, counselor at Colusa High School, said Colusa High School hosts financial aid night in both English and Spanish so parents can know how to work with the FAFSA. She said a college representative also attends the event to work with the families.

Grant availability

There are many grants that are available through the FAFSA for low-income and even some middle class families – such as the Pell Grant or Calgrant.

Martin Gutierrez, director of financial aid at Yuba College, said one of the newer grants – the Student Success Completion Grant – is also available for students who are eligible for the Calgrant.

Student loans

Kermes said being smart about the possibility of student loans is important when looking at ways to pay for college.

“I always tell kids, ‘you’re investing in your future, so invest wisely,’” she said. “... We try to get them to realize that it’s OK to borrow if you (do so) wisely.”

She said just because a student is offered a specified amount of money, they may not need to accept the full amount.

Scholarships

Christine Kenney, career center technician at Marysville High School, said the high school offers a variety of scholarships that can focus on the career path the student plans to follow, ethnicity or financial need.

Kermes said Sac State has more than 600 scholarships available to students – as well as the federal and state financial aid.

Many are major specific she said, but the financial aid office has many broad scholarships that could be available.

Some schools also offer academic scholarships.

“We also have some high achieving students that are … low income,” Tanner said. “... They primarily will get some county scholarships.”

California Promise

California community colleges, including Yuba and Butte, also offer the California Promise, which allows students to get their first year of tuition for free. Other sources can help cover living, book and other costs.

A Yuba College counselor last year said one of the reasons the California Promise was adopted was the stress on students or families who might be making slightly over the maximum income that would make them ineligible for the Board of Governors fee waiver program.

Planning for the future

Kenney said if a student knows what they plan on doing in the future or what career path they want to take early on, it can be beneficial. Counselors and the career center can help students figure out what classes they should be taking or help the student figure out how to reach their goals.

Marysville High School also offers career pathways with technical education programs, she said, where students take classes that can help prepare them for future careers.

Again, as some scholarships are based on what school they plan to go to or what career path the student wants to follow, applying early is important.

“Don’t wait until the last minute to apply for scholarships or apply for schools,” Kenney said.

At Colusa High School, Tanner said students also take a personal finance class that will help them budget.

“It’s part of our curriculum where we try to teach kids to budget and to work,” Tanner said.

Other considerations

Tanner said she encourages students to participate in work study in college, if they have the time to work.

Work study is also offered on the FAFSA – where a student can be hired on campus and will get paid a wage.

David said that students are paid each month through this program – unlike most grants or student loans where the money is dispersed once near the beginning of the semester.

Some students choose to commute to save money on school, so they attend colleges nearby, Kenney said.

Other transportation resources may also be available, for example, Chico State and Sac State both offer free transit through city bus systems.

Gutierrez said an important aspect of student success is being aware of the resources on campus and having a close relationship with the institution, with faculty, staff and administrators.

David said if there’s ever a situation where money may be an issue or a student or family member has a question, they can make an appointment with the financial

aid office and there are advisers who can help.

“I really encourage them to come talk to us, because there are thing we can do to help,” David said “... They have to come talk with us to tap into those resource.”

Kermes said parents

should stay active in the process of applying for schools with the student and discuss the cost of different schools, the cost of living on campus or off, etc.

“That’s a family conversation,” she said.