Financial Aid Night tackles college costs

Financial Aid Night, scheduled for Thursday, December 19 at 6:30 p.m. at Sisters High School, will provide much of the information people need to finance a college education.

College costs continue to rise at a rate much faster than the cost of living and more students than ever are relying on aid from the federal government, according to high school counselor Charlie Kanzig.

"With the cost of state four-year universities approaching $15,000 per year for tuition, room, board and books, people are looking for grants, subsidized loans and work study to cover the cost," said Kanzig.

All of those forms of aid are covered through the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA), which will be the central focus at Thursday's meeting. The FAFSA forms are available in the counseling office, but the federal government would actually prefer people to use the online application (www.fafsa.gov) if possible.

"The online form keeps you from accidentally omitting information, which leads to a higher level of accurately completed applications," said Kanzig.

In addition to the FAFSA, the presentation will include information about scholarships as well.

"There are some local scholarships already available for Sisters High School, including the Veterans Appreciation Award and the Elks Most Valuable Student Award, and more to come in the early spring," said Kanzig. "We want to get students and their families clued in to what scholarships are available at the local, state, and regional level."

The school provides help throughout the year regarding financial aid. Laurie Adams, a parent volunteer, is available every Wednesday from 8 to 9:30 a.m. to meet with students and parents about scholarship opportunities.

Adams helps coordinate the scholarship program at the high school along with Sally Benton and Kanzig.

"We want to offer what helps students achieve their dreams any way we can," said Kanzig.