Applying to college can be really stressful, especially when the issue of paying for tuition is a major problem. Most seniors are not accurately educated on financial aid, which can lead to confusion and problems that might arise for their college decisions. Senior TJ Inscore, who is in the process of applying to college, shares his concerns on paying for school: “College is really important to me, but I worry about how I will be able to afford it, and the process for financial aid seems really confusing.” Thankfully, Millbrook has everyone covered and will be hosting a Financial Aid Night to share information that can help seniors get through this rough patch. 

  The meeting will be held virtually through Google Meet from 6:30pm to 7:30pm on Thursday, September 29th. One of Millbrook’s counselors, Mrs. Cahoon, shares who will be a part of the meeting: “We have college financial aid officers from Meredith, Wake Tech, and UNC who will be helping with the event.” These special guests will present information about how to estimate the actual cost of college, different types of financial aid, residence, how to complete the FAFSA, the CSS Profile, and how to understand award letters. If any participants have questions throughout the event, they should feel free to submit them in the chat. Cahoon also adds that “Following the presentation, we will have a panel discussion and respond to additional audience questions.” 

  Financial Aid Night is very important to attend because it gives the Millbrook staff a way to help make sure students and families have access to this information. This encourages students to save as much money as possible and to make informed decisions for taking out any loans. The number one reason why students either decide to not attend college or drop out of college is because of financial issues. Therefore, attending this informational meeting can provide students with assistance and solutions for their financial problems, in hopes that they will be able to attend college. Cahoon shares her experience with college financial struggles, in hopes to reach people with similar problems: “I feel strongly about this from personal experience. My parents were not in a position to help me pay for college and it was very overwhelming trying to figure out what my options were.” 

  Anybody can struggle with paying for college, and it never hurts to get a basic understanding of financial aid from this event. Attending the Financial Aid Night can also give students more knowledge on the subject to encourage them to have a focused conversation with counselors or financial aid officers in the future. Cahoon also mentions that “One other thing that may be interesting (encouraging) to families is that the FAFSA Simplification Act which was passed in 2020 goes into effect for the 2023/2024 FAFSA application.” This essentially means that instead of having to answer 108 questions, there are now only 36 questions, and families can import more information directly from the IRS. The meeting will explain more details about this and other highly important information regarding everything about financial aid. 

  Students and families should take advantage of this meeting in order to help them with any questions about how they are going to pay for college. The meeting will follow a PowerPoint presentation, so if anyone cannot attend the meeting for any reason, please reach out to the designated counselor to obtain the information in the presentation. Senior Ramsey Alzoor encourages students to attend by adding, “Financial Aid can help a lot of people by taking some weight off their shoulders if they are not getting scholarships or grants, so it is good to know about.” Paying for college can be difficult, but it does not need to be with the help of this Financial Aid Night!