The way to get access to Federal Student Aid for college is to complete the FAFSA - Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Changes to this year's form caused a delayed opening. Typically, open in October the form recently opened on December 31, 2023. While some families have been successful in completing their form, many others are not able to access the application or even the information portions of the website. The image shows the message that is visible when trying to access studentaid.gov.

Please don't stress and don't give up. Here are some things to consider:

1. Try again at a different time. - If you are a night owl you might try later in the evening when there is less traffic on the website. Or earlier in the day!
2. Colleges will not receive data until end of January. - Not sure of the details surrounding colleges getting data, but I would suggest that you complete your form with all colleges you are considering. You don't want to have to go back in to add additional colleges. Also make sure you share the FAFSA with at least ONE in-state public college. Some State Aid Programs are connected to FAFSA and sharing the FAFSA with an in-state public college will trigger.
3. Review Information about New FAFSA - Since StudentAid.gov is limited check out NCAN for information about FAFSA. Better FAFSA - National College Attainment Network (ncan.org)
4. Reach out to Dominic Jones, Crosby Scholars Financial Aid Coordinator, djones@crosbyscholarsiredell.org.
5. Check your college's financial aid page - Make sure the FAFSA is the only thing they need. Some schools might need the CSS profile. Go ahead and get that done now.
6. Remember you have to have your FSA ID prior to completing the application and your student is really driving the process. Have your student start and invite you as a collaborator. Be sure they have all of your information correct.

We know this can be frustrating. Everyone has a stake in getting these forms completed, so there are plenty of resources to help.

• Studentaid.gov
• CFNC.org
• NCAN
• Your Guidance Counselor
• Mitchell Community College is hosting a FAFSA completion day on 1/27 - More details to come.

The next step in the college application process is to receive an answer from the admissions department. There are a number of responses you can receive...Accepted, Deferred, Wait-listed, or Declined. See the article below to answer the question..."What's Next?"

Students and Counselors alike are surprised that they have not heard or have been deferred in record numbers. Admissions offices with the same or less staff are having to review a higher number of applications early and they are not sure what they are going to get during the regular decision timeframe. College Kickstart has published acceptance rates that you might find interesting. When the number of applications is up the % of acceptance goes down. All of this impacts our students.

How you respond to the communication you receive from the college or university you are applying to will determine your ultimate success in acceptance.

No matter what the answer you need to do the following:

1. Read the letter/email carefully and completely.
2. Follow all directions provided – Most colleges/universities will be very clear in their communication about next steps in the process. You don’t want to change your status by not following directions.
3. Keep lines of communication open – Be sure to monitor the email address that you have provided and respond to requests timely.
4. Be thoughtful about decisions – an admissions letter is not an award letter. Make sure you have all the information you need prior to making any final decisions. This includes getting information from the financial aid office. The financial picture must be considered before making your final decision.

If deferred:

Follow steps 1 – 4 above. If you have decided that you no longer wish to attend that college/university, then you can communicate your decision to the school. A deferral decision in the Early Action/Early Decision process removes any obligation to attend and frees you to accept admission in another college or university. Most students continue with the deferral process and wait on final decisions in the spring. If you are still interested in this college/university then consider these next steps.

1. Call about your deferral – call the admissions office and ask to speak to your representative. If you decide to call, be sure to do the following:
**Be POLITE, POSITIVE and COURTEOUS
**Communicate your desire to attend the school
**Ask for ways to strengthen your application

2. AGAIN - FOLLOW Directions and requests – be sure to send in any new or missing information that the school has requested. This might include a letter of continued interest. Check out this Blog - Deferred or Waitlisted? How to Write a Letter of Continued Interest | CollegeVine Blog

3. Plan for rejection – While some students that are deferred are eventually accepted, just as many are not accepted. Develop a backup plan to make sure you have other options. This might include applying to another safe school. Be aware of regular decision deadlines.

Deferred (Not a denial) possible response to an Early Action or Early Decision application. If you were deferred most colleges and universities feel that you are a strong candidate, but not as strong as others that applied early. They want to review your application with other applications in the regular decision process. Chances of acceptance after deferral depend on the university. Explore the school’s website for additional information.

Parents, take a moment to read this Forbes article. If you don't want to read it, you can click the play button and it will be read to you. Definitely worth a few minutes of your time.

Handling College Admission Decisions: A Sidecar Parent’s Guide (forbes.com)

Don't forget: Your community service requirement is due no later than January 31, 2024. As of Jan. 1st, 34 seniors still needed to submit their forms. Service form to receive credit. No signatures required.

This is the third month I am looking for key data from our class of 2023. We currently have 243 seniors active and 89 only have completed this form. The data in this survey is key to managing programs. If you have not completed the Crosby senior college application survey, please follow this link and complete it TODAY!

Need practice for college or scholarship interviews. Crosby Scholars is offering practice for a panel interview. Email jjamison@crosbyscholarsiredell.org if you would like to set up a Mock Interview.

Also check out the Interview Academy on January 28th. Details in Portal!

IN-PERSON Celebration this year! Save the date - April 23, 2024, for the Class of 2024 Senior Celebration. We will present graduation cords and certificates, announce scholarship winners and celebrate your accomplishments as a Crosby Scholar.

Every senior is required to attend two academies, by January 31st. You must complete all the requirements in order to be eligible for scholarships and last-dollar grants.

If you choose to attend one of the final academies, please go to the Crosby Scholars Portal and register today. If you still need to meet this requirement, please register now for the academies that best match your needs and schedule.

IN Person Academy - Mitchell Community College Mooresville Campus - January 27th.

Self-Paced Academy

If you would prefer a self-paced online option you can go to bit.ly/speakcollege and print out the fill in the blank document. Review the information, fill in the blanks, and return to Rachael Reynolds at rreynolds@crosbyscholarsiredell.org and you will receive credit.

FAFSA Completion Credit

If you prove that you have completed the FAFSA we will give you 1 academy credit. Simply contact rreynolds@crosbyscholarsiredell.org and provide proof of completion.

Please check in with your Crosby Senior Advisor at least once between January 1 - March 30. You can find your senior advisor's contact information in your portal. Feel free to contact them with questions or to ask for a meeting--they want to help!

All Crosby Scholars Senior Requirements are due by the end of this month with the exception of meeting with your senior advisor for the Spring Check-In. Please make sure all other requirements are complete.

Email: jjamison@crosbyscholarsiredell.org
Website: crosbyscholarsiredell.org
Location: 124 4th Crescent Place, Statesville, NC, United States
Phone: (704) 873-5005
Facebook: facebook.com/crosbyscholarsiredell
Twitter: @iredellcrosby