Connect Canyons
Learning is about making connections, and we invite you to learn and connect with us. Connect Canyons is a show about what we teach in Canyons District, how we teach, and why. We get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great: students, teachers, principals, parents, and more. We meet national experts, too. And we spotlight the “connection makers” — personalities, programs and prospects — we find compelling and inspiring.
Connect Canyons
Ep 95: Don’t Leave Free College Money on the Table — Complete the FAFSA
Need help paying for college? File a FAFSA.
It’s that simple. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is the gateway to all sorts of funding — so, before you tune out because you think you’re not eligible for aid, think again.
Most colleges and scholarships require families to complete the FAFSA, even for merit scholarships. And, while applying for any kind of financial aid can be daunting, Canyons students have help right in their schools. In the latest episode of Connect Canyons, we sit down with Melissa Baker, School Counseling Program Specialist for the District, and Karen Barnhill, FAFSA Coordinator at Jordan High School. They walk us through the ins and outs of FAFSA and why it’s important for all students to complete sooner rather than later.
FAFSA opens Dec. 1, 2024. See below for a list of school-based events where families can get help completing the FAFSA.
Canyons FAFSA Completion Nights:
Alta – January 15, 2025
Brighton – January 16, 2025
Corner Canyon – December 11, 2024
Diamond Ridge – December 11, 2024
Hillcrest – January 15, 2025
Jordan – December 9, 2024
Episode Chapters
00:38 Understanding FAFSA: What It Is and How It Works
Our experts explain what FAFSA is, how it’s used and the benefits available to students who apply.
02:45 District Resources for FAFSA Assistance
Applying for FAFSA has a number of steps which can be daunting for anyone, our experts explain how they can help with the process.
04:29 Importance of Early FAFSA and College Applications
Just like scholarships, it’s important for students to apply for FAFSA as soon as they can rather than wait until graduation.
05:51 Tips for Preparing for FAFSA
How students and parents alike can prepare for FAFSA, what they need to consider and have ready before applying.
Welcome to Connect Canyons, a podcast sponsored by Canyons School District. This is a show about what we teach, how we teach and why we get up close and personal with some of the people who make our schools great Students, teachers, principals, parents and more. We meet national experts too. Learning is about making connections, so connect with us.
Speaker 3:There are a lot of financial options available for our Canyon students who are looking to attend college or career schools, from scholarships to financial aid. One of those options is FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. That's a lot. So to help us understand what FAFSA is and how Canyon students can benefit from it, I'm joined today by Melissa Baker, School Counseling Program Specialist for the District, and Karen Barnhill, FAFSA Coordinator at Jordan High School. Thank you both for being here. Thank you for having us.
Speaker 3:Let's start with the simplest and really most forethought question what is FAFSA? Melissa, would you like to explain what it is for us?
Speaker 4:Sure, it's an application that any student can fill out that has a social security number. We may talk a little bit later about options for students that don't have a social security number, and what the FAFSA does, or the application gives students access to, are Pell Grants, work-study programs which allow students to work on campus for I mean normal wages, but that it's federally subsidized. Those jobs are, and then there are subsidized loans and unsubsidized loans that students can have access to Karen.
Speaker 3:can you dive a little deeper into that? How is FAFSA used for students? Are we talking textbooks? We're talking about jobs on campus. What are the options when you have a FAFSA?
Speaker 2:I'm so glad you asked that question. Let me tell you just some of the experiences our students have had. So last year I had a student come and she had done the cosmetology program at SeaTec but she needed one more year. So she was going to Taylor Andrew, she filled out her FAFSA and she got $6,000, even though she only needed $2,000 for the coursework that was left.
Speaker 2:So she gets the $2,000 and thousand dollars for the coursework that was left. So she gets the two thousand dollars and that pays for the coursework. But then they give her another four thousand just for living expenses and expenses she would incur as she goes to school. I had another student and he was an athlete. He said I don't need FAFSA, I have a athletic scholarship. I talked him into still applying and he did and he got FAFSA. So that went on top of his scholarship, paying for living expenses, transportation, food, things like that. So FAFSA can be used in addition to scholarships. It's not an exclusive. Either this or this, you can add it together.
Speaker 3:Yes, that's really good to know because I think a lot of times students think of any kind of collegiate or career school financial aid and think it has to go to textbooks or courses, but it can be used for an all-encompassing experience. That's really helpful. Tell me what are some of the resources that we as a district provide to help students. Karen, your title is literally FAFSA coordinator. I didn't even know that was a thing that we had.
Speaker 2:I love working. I just focus mostly just on FAFSA and making the students and the parents. I work with them both filling it out, making them aware of deadlines, making sure it gets done on time. Actually making sure it gets done, because every year March, april come and parent is here, student is here, oh, we've decided we want to go to school. We need money. The reality is they've missed most of their financial opportunities by then. We still have a few left, but we're trying to encourage them to do it early in the year, preferably before the first of the year.
Speaker 4:And also in our district, we have what are called FAFSA completion nights, and so every high school, from our Diamond Ridge Alternative High School to ALTA, to all of the high schools, every one of them hosts a night where the counselors and USHE representatives and interpreters are there to help parents and students through the FAFSA process. And this year, because the FAFSA is not opening until December 1st, they will be in December and in January, and those are typically held in the evening and for a couple of hours, and families are invited to attend. Those and those that are there walk them through the whole process.
Speaker 3:That's really great. I think any time you're faced with the idea of filling out a form that has the word federal attached to it, it can be a little daunting.
Speaker 3:So that's really nice that we have that resource available for parents and students, and in multiple languages. That's great. You know, we've thrown around a couple of dates and applying for college can be such an exciting time but a confusing time. And you're facing all of these deadlines. Why is it important, do you think, to not only apply for FAFSA as early as you can, but also to apply for college earlier than not? You don't want to wait until you're graduating at the end of May.
Speaker 4:Yeah, when you apply earlier you have more options. You know where you've been accepted and then that's where you can start ensuring that when you apply for FAFSA, that you're working with their individual school financial aid offices. You can then understand what the cost is and what scholarships are out there. Start planning housing and do college tours. The earlier that you do that, the more time you have to plan and to explore where, if we wait until the last minute, there's not a lot of time and really when we talk about FAFSA even leftover money you know those that apply earlier are more likely to get some of the pot of the money versus students that wait.
Speaker 3:I like your point of looking at what's housing like going and taking a tour of the campus, Even though FAFSA, like you said, doesn't open up until December this year. It's something you need to be considering now, Karen. What's some advice you would have for students and parents who are already thinking about this before that December opening for applications?
Speaker 2:One thing I would suggest is the parent and the student each need an FSA ID. That's a federal student aid identification, and it's something they can do now, before December. So they should create one now so that they're ready to go. We've seen when they get on that national website, if there's a lot of people on it it can sometimes crash, and so if they do it now, they're ahead of the game and they've got that ID ready to go so that when it opens in December they're ready for that application. And even so, the student has to have the social security number. Parents want, you want to have one, but let's say your parent doesn't have a social security number. Can they still create an ID? Yes, they can. It's a different process, they answer different questions, but they still need to create that ID and that's why, at Jordan, we're here to help the student and the parents, so if they come in, we're able to help them walk through that process. But that's one thing they should be doing right now is creating an ID.
Speaker 3:You know you also brought up a really good point. Last year, I know FAFSA was a bit of a struggle. The federal website struggled with the demand of people logging in on that first day to fill in those applications. So it's really great to know that there are steps that can be taken now versus waiting until that December 1st. What are some other tips and tricks that you have that maybe parents and students can start looking into before they start applying?
Speaker 2:Well, one thing I did this year I interviewed all the seniors during the month of August, september, six simple questions. I wanted to know what their interest was, what they were interested in and where they wanted to go or thinking of. Then I created I call it, I have a plan card and identified the application deadline for that school, the school scholarship deadline. Some schools require a FAFSA even if the scholarship is not income-based. So I encourage them to make sure they've submitted their FAFSA by that school scholarship deadline. So identify that and also the financial aid deadline. And at the bottom I go to the Utah Promise scholarship and the deadline is different for each school. So I've listed on there. If you going to this school, make sure your FAFSA is submitted by this deadline, because every year I'll have students come in in the spring, they fill out FAFSA, they get money, but I they missed the promise deadline and you could explain what the promise scholarship is.
Speaker 4:Yeah, so if a student is Pell Grant eligible in the state of Utah our colleges have this agreement that if a student is Pell Grant eligible then they will cover their tuition in full.
Speaker 3:Can you explain what Pell Grants are for those who may not know?
Speaker 4:So a Pell Grant, once a student fills out the FAFSA and all of the tax information is put in or linked to the IRS, they determine whether or not a student is financially in need, more so than other students that are applying, and then the colleges can determine like this particular student, based off of their financial need, gets this amount of money. So it could be a partial Pell Grant, which is free money to attend college or, like Karen was saying, to use for living expenses, or they could receive the full Pell Grant, which this year was $7,395.
Speaker 2:Wow.
Speaker 4:And so that has fluctuated from year to year. But if they're Pell Grant eligible, then that Utah promise is that the higher institution will pay for that tuition.
Speaker 2:But, they have to have submitted the FAFSA before that deadline, and that's what we don't want them to miss. We want them to know what is the deadline. Make sure it's submitted by then.
Speaker 3:Karen, I love these cards and that you've already had this forethought to take these steps with your students at Jordan. That's such a great idea for students and parents even to sit down and say where do you want to go to school or what career field do you want. To track and finding those dates. Is that something that's easy for parents to find, or should they maybe try and talk to their counselors at the schools?
Speaker 2:It's easy to find. If you do a search online, it's quite easy to find. But still, I think it's helpful to talk to the counselors, because I have a student right now. She wants to go to Stanford and she was in my office that's my dream school, but how do I afford that money? And so I was able to say well, you want to fill out your FAFSA. That's required first. Then I suggested the Daniels Scholarship, which can be up to $30,000. And then I said and there's QuestBridge, that matches any scholarship you get for participating schools, and Stanford is one. So as you meet with your counselor, you're going to get more information than just a deadline, and that's why I think it's really important to take the time to meet with your counselors.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. A common theme that I'm hearing is it doesn't seem to matter what school you want to go to, what career path you're looking for. If you want to go to Stanford or you want to stay home and go to the? U, it sounds like everyone can apply for FAFSA, regardless of their family's income, of their income, I mean, for lack of a better term it's free money, right, it can be yeah.
Speaker 4:So the Pell Grant for or through the FAFSA is the only one that is free money. There are subsidized and unsubsidized loans that could be offered to the student, and just because those are offered doesn't mean you have to accept them. I can talk from personal experience. I was a first generation college student and my parents didn't know how to search for that information and didn't even know where to start, and so being able to talk with a counselor or school counselor was where I had to go and where I should have been going, because my parents didn't know where to start with that. And so I think the more questions that they ask and find out that there's a lot of untapped money out there and scholarships like Karen has referenced that Utah, we have the opportunity scholarship that requires a student to fill out the FAFSA in order to qualify for that specific scholarship, so ensuring that they have all of that information and really, who doesn't want the chance at free money?
Speaker 3:Yeah, absolutely. We've thrown around a couple of dates. Can we narrow down what dates parents and students need to keep in mind for FAFSA applications this year?
Speaker 2:Yeah, Well, December 1st it opens but, like the deadline for BYU is December 16th For the University of Utah and USU is February 1st, UVU is March 1st, so it just varies by school. Sure, and that's another thing they could find out. They can go online, but they can also show up at my office and I'd be happy to help them. And another thing I want people to know is parents think we won't qualify. Don't bother. However, the way it works is the government gives the money to the school and then the school decides based on your application. So one year Utah State got $300,000. The next year, a million dollars. Everyone who filled out FAFSA got something. And then I had another student. She filled it out. You're not going to get anything. She was going to SUU. She got $1,000 because SUU had that money. So don't automatically assume you know you won't get any. She was going to SUU. She got $1,000 because SUU had that money. So don't automatically assume you know you won't get any. All you know for sure is if you don't apply, you won't get any.
Speaker 3:So why not apply?
Speaker 2:Why not?
Speaker 3:apply. Yeah, so December 1st, that's the first opening date and then we can vary from there over the next few months, depending on the school, depending on the college.
Speaker 2:Now one new thing this year with I mean, they started it last year, but it's new we used to be able to fill out FAFSA throughout the year. The cutoff for next year's financial aid for colleges is June 30th. Okay, so they definitely have to have applied by June 30th, because after that they would not be eligible for financial aid for that coming school year.
Speaker 3:So they can get started now by getting their aid numbers, things like that, and then, once that December 1st rolls around, it doesn't hurt to just be the first in the door. Get it done you're ready? Yes, that's really great. Go ahead, you're ready. Yes, that's really great Go ahead.
Speaker 4:The FAFSA completion nights that I had mentioned earlier start at Jordan High. December 9th is when Jordan's FAFSA completion night, and then Corner and Diamond Ridge are December 11th and Hillcrest and Alta are January 15th and Brighton is January 16th. But I would just encourage parents and students to reach out to their school's counseling center and to find out more information about the times and where those are located so they can ensure that they're there and we'll be sure to mention those dates in the write-up for this podcast as well.
Speaker 3:You know, it's really beautiful to hear how many opportunities are available to our students and, like you said, it doesn't matter whether you think you might not get any. You might be surprised at just how much financial aid you can get to help our students achieve those collegiate dreams.
Speaker 4:Tell me what message would you have for those students or families who may be on the fence about going to college or applying for a career school? Well, this month, the month of October, is Utah College Application Month, and all applications are free for Utah schools. And so I would say, why not If the application's free and you even have a lingering thought of going to college or seeking a higher education? If it's free, you might as well. And you might find that when you're accepted that there are some doors that are opened and those dreams start to feel a little bit more like reality. So don't wait, apply now. And same with FAFSA. Like Karen said, don't just assume that you're not going to get it based off of your family's income. Apply. You'd be surprised what happens.
Speaker 2:And when you fill out your FAFSA you can add up to 20 schools that they will send your information to that school. So if they've applied for it, they need to make sure and also add that school. One year I had a student. She wanted a scholarship to UVU. She did everything, met everything on time, submitted her FAFSA. All of that April she came back and she said well, where's my money? Or I haven't heard anything. And so I said let's pull up your application, your FAFSA. So they pulled it up. She hadn't listed UVU.
Speaker 2:Oh no, so UVU did not have her information before that deadline, so make sure that you also add those schools on your FAFSA application.
Speaker 3:I think to your point, too, of going and speaking with counselors. I think to your point, too, of going and speaking with counselors. I've already feel like I've experienced a slew of knowledge that I had no idea about the opportunities and the scholarships, the financial aid, everything that's available to students and the help that we have right here in the district. Like yourself as a FAFSA coordinator, it's beautiful that our students can go and sit down and get that started and start working towards their dreams. I want to thank you both for being here. This has been very enlightening and I hope that it's inspiring some of our students to take that next step towards their careers.
Speaker 3:Thank you for having us and thank you for listening. If there's a topic you would like to hear discussed on the podcast, send us an email to communications at canyonsdistrictorg.
Speaker 1:Thanks for listening to this episode of Connect Canyons. Connect with us on Twitter, facebook or Instagram at Canyons District or on our website, canyonsdistrictorg.
