February 17, 2003

Madison - The Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board (HEAB) today issued a reminder to all Wisconsin residents who are thinking of attending college that now is the time to begin applying for financial aid for the upcoming 2003-2004 academic year.

Here are some tips on filing for financial aid:

• APPLY EARLY - Applications for the 2003-04 academic year can be submitted anytime after January 1, 2003. Students and parents are urged to apply even if they do not believe they are eligible for financial aid. Almost two-thirds of all applicants get some sort of financial aid. The earlier an application is filed and processed the better the chance that financial aid will be available.

  In order to be eligible for most financial aid, the student (and in some cases the parents also) must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is available both on-line and in print. The FAFSA can be completed on-line at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. If access to the Internet is not available, a copy of the 2003-04 FAFSA can be obtained at high school guidance counselor offices, at college or university financial aid offices or from the Wisconsin Higher Educational Aids Board.

  The information on the FAFSA is used to determine a student's eligibility for federal and state financial aid.

• DO YOUR HOME WORK - There are many different types and sources of financial aid. Aid can be in the form of grants, scholarships, loans and work-study. Aid can come from the federal government, the State of Wisconsin or the college or university a student attends. Some students and parents may not even know that they are getting financial aid from the State of Wisconsin because the process works so smoothly.

  One excellent source of financial aid information is the HEAB website. The HEAB website has links to many sources of free information including the United States Department of Education, FAFSA On the Web, and FINAID, which is a free scholarship search source. The HEAB website is available at http://heab.state.wi.us.