Financial Aid

MKHS College & Career Center Newsletter - Issue 4 (Fall 21)

Planning for college expenses doesn't start in 12th grade

Did you know that even if you think you won't qualify for financial aid, most colleges require you to complete the FAFSA/CA Dream Act App?
Why? Because you might still qualify for university merit grants/scholarships, which are based on your merit/achievements versus financial need.

Want to learn the truth about financial aid?

All families are welcomed to join us for Cash for College Week

October 25 - 27th from 6:00 - 7:30 PM

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Cash for College

This is a Financial Aid Presentation for FAFSA and CA Dream Act.
California Dream Act is for Undocumented Students/AB540.

Presentations will be provided in English, Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, and Vietnamese.

Presentations will be held at 6:15 - 7:30 PM on:
Monday - 10/25/21 - FAFSA (English)
Monday - 10/25/21 - FAFSA (Spanish)
Tuesday- 10/26/21 - FAFSA (Cantonese/Mandarin/Vietnamese)
Wednesday - 10/27/21 - Dream Act (English/Spanish/Mandarin)

Complete the form below to sign up for one of the presentations. You do not need to attend all, just one.

RSVP for Cash for College

RSVP Link: https://tinyurl.com/AUSDC4C2021

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Download Cash for College Flyers

English, Spanish, Chinese, and Vietnamese translated

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Agenda

6:00 PM - Zoom Waiting Room will open

6:15 PM - Presentation will begin

7:00 PM - Live Q&A

7:30 PM - Session Ends

Don’t fall for these myths about federal student aid and the application process!

“Federal student aid is just ‘free money’ like grants.”

Reality: Federal student aid includes three different kinds of financial help: grants, low-interest loans, and work-study funds (a part-time job on or near campus). To learn more about the different types of federal student aid, visit StudentAid.gov/types.

“The FAFSA® form takes forever to fill out, and it’s really hard to do.”

Reality: If you’ve got 30 minutes to spare, you’re good. Because that’s about how long it takes to fill out the FAFSA form. It’s also not nearly as hard as you might think.

“Only students with good grades get financial aid.”

Reality: While a high grade point average will help a student get into a good school and may help with academic scholarships, most of the federal student aid programs do not take a student’s grades into consideration. Provided a student maintains satisfactory academic progress in his or her program of study, federal student aid will help a student with an average academic record complete his or her education. State aid, like Cal Grant, is a different story -- Cal Grant RELIES on your household income AND your grades. Cal Grant A is a minimum of a 3.0 GPA and Cal Grant B is a minimum of a 2.0 GPA.

“My siblings didn't qualify for financial aid so filling out the FAFSA® form again is just a waste of time.”

Reality: It’s super important to fill out a FAFSA form every year you’re in college or career school even if other siblings didn't get financial aid. Why? Because things can change. For instance, your school or state might create a new grant or scholarship, or the factors used to calculate your aid could change from one year to the next. Either way, if you don’t submit a new FAFSA form, you’re out of luck.

More Financial Aid Myths

Learn more about types of financial aid