As if being the parent of a walking ball of hormonal energy wasn’t enough of a thrill, halfway through your son’s junior year of high school in Connecticut, you realize you’ll be the one to fill out the college admissions forms, the forms financial aid and pay the application fees. This means that you will most likely be the one stressing about deadlines, struggling to get your financial records, and tempted to apply to a couple of Connecticut colleges because each one charges a small fee to apply.

If you have suddenly found yourself in this situation, here are some tips to save lives and hair:

• Apply to at least 6-8 universities. Make an appointment with a Connecticut college consultant because this will give you some financial aid options.
• Apply to some universities where you know you will get a good award.
• Request a refund of room deposits and college admission fees by May 1.
• Some colleges will waive the admission fee if asked, especially if the fee is a hardship.
• Some universities do not pay the admission fee if the application is submitted online.
• Attend any University of Connecticut Admissions Counseling and help or speak with a University of Connecticut Admissions Counselor
• Apply early to attract Connecticut college scholarships that are awarded not based on a student’s financial need, but rather based on the college’s desire to meet its enrollment fee early. Do not apply early decision unless the student is borderline for admission and the desire for admission outweighs the need for financial aid. Early decision often leads to poor financial aid offers. Some colleges state that the early decision will not be binding if the financial aid offer is not satisfactory. The family should ask if this is university policy. Here are some financial aid application tips that will prevent you from making any big mistakes when applying for financial aid.
• Applying for financial aid may negatively affect a student’s chances of admission. Therefore, do not apply for financial aid until the student is admitted. And learn as much as possible about the admissions process for Connecticut universities.
• Please note the deadlines for submitting the various application forms required by each university. Missing a college’s financial aid deadline may result in a reduced or zero financial aid offer from the college.
• Learn which application forms (FAFSA, PROFILE, etc.) are required by each college.
• Calculate tax return numbers to meet college financial aid deadlines or to file early to get in line for first-come, first-served financial aid sources.
• Connecticut parents should apply for financial aid even if you don’t qualify because you must apply to be eligible for a federal PLUS loan and be able to file an appeal. Also, some colleges will not consider a student for future financial aid if they did not apply in previous years. Know the application deadlines for the student’s state of residence.
• Please note that estimated tax numbers used in the financial aid application may trigger selection for verification.
• Inconsistency of data reported on the financial aid application form may trigger selection for verification (eg, interest income reported, but corresponding asset not included).
• Connecticut real estate values ​​that are much less than the inflation index multiplier tables may trigger selection for verification.
• Verification typically involves submitting a copy of the parent’s and student’s tax returns, reporting the number of people in the household, and reporting the number of people in the household planning to enroll in college.
• If assets are verified, the financial aid officer will usually request information or values ​​from the family’s accountant. They will not ask for a formal valuation of the family assets.

These are just a few of the expert tips and strategies for Connecticut parents of college students that you can access for FREE by clicking the link below.