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Understanding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may seem like a challenge at first. Once you add the complexity of a special circumstance or  divorce, completing the FAFSA may feel like a down right headache.

Although your situation may seem like receiving financial aid is impossible, don't let it stop you from putting your best foot forward. You are not the only person experiencing this state of affairs and most likely you won't be the last. Here are a  few examples of special circumstances and how to handle them when completing the FAFSA.  

FAFSA season is here, and getting an early start is the best plan of action.

Don’t let the thought of completing your college applications stress you out. Think about it as an opportunity to write about what you know best, better than anyone, YOU! You’re the expert on you and this should be easy right? Right, but it must be noted that time and effort are required for the best outcome.

College is a huge next step in your young life and if you are like most students, you are probably putting a tremendous amount of weight on your college applications to get you accepted to your top choices of schools. 

Ideally, students should apply to 4-8 schools. One or two of these may be considered "reach" schools - that is schools which are difficult for you to get into. A few should also be schools that you are pretty sure you will be admitted. The remainder fall somewhere in between.  However, all schools on your list should be schools you will be happy at. 

If you are in the midst of applying to colleges, this isn't likely the first time you have heard about the Common Application. The Common App is widely accepted at over 900 schools. However, one important thing to keep in mind is that you should not tailor your college list to schools that only accept the Common Application, just to make the process easier on yourself. Attending a college that is not the right fit for you in lieu of filling out a few extra forms will be more stressful in the end!

The answer is, it hasn't really changed much at all. Except that since the pandemic, the trend of schools making SAT and ACT test scores optional has increased.  However important to note, if you have the opportunity to take these tests and you believe your scores will help in the decision process, by all means send them along as part of your application process. After all anything that reflects on your academic achievements is worth highlighting to the schools you are interested in.

At RISLA, we have some exciting news to share with our community. Last week, Forbes Advisor ranked RISLA in the Top 3 of the Best Private Student Loan Lenders for 2020.

If you are in need of a loan for college, it is important that you understand how to compare your options in order to get the best deal for your family. 

Remember to limit the amount you borrow! For every dollar you borrow, you will have to pay back more than that dollar with interest.