One of the more daunting aspects of pursuing a college education can be navigating financial aid opportunities. But Cal State Fullerton’s Office of Financial Aid, led by director Jessica Barco and her team, have made it their mission to walk students through this process and turn a complex path into a simple one.
“My endeavor is to try to simplify financial aid and have it be more understandable so that students and families are encouraged that they can access it,” Barco said. “I want folks to understand this is for everyone and anyone, even folks that think they are not going to qualify.”
The key step to beginning the financial aid process is for students to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, more commonly known as the FAFSA. Both U.S. citizens and eligible noncitizens can apply each year for the more than $150 billion of annual federal aid available in the form of grants, loans and work-study funds.
The free application opens every Oct. 1, with the priority deadline on March 2 for support toward the 2023-2024 academic year.
For those students filling out the FAFSA this year, the form will generate what is referred to as the Expected Family Contribution, or EFC. This indicates how much the family is expected to pay toward the cost of college attendance. It is the difference between the EFC number and the cost of attendance amount at an institution, or unmet need, that will be attempted to be fulfilled through scholarships, grants or loans.
It is not uncommon for there to be misunderstanding and confusion around this process. Middle-class families, or those who come from two-earner incomes, often feel they cannot qualify for any financial assistance. But for those families with students attending schools within the CSU system, including CSUF, Barco assures this couldn’t be further from the truth.
At the state level, there is assistance specifically for those students through the California Middle Class Scholarship. The program…
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