How do I Pay for School?
By Shelby Wallace
Financing your college education is the burning question on everyone’s mind right now. Acceptance letters are coming in and now it’s time to figure out how paying for it all works. Every school is different when it comes to financial aid. Every financial package you receive will be different and will help you become once stop closer to deciding what is the right school for you.
At Norwich we take a very individualized approach to financial aid. Every family brings something different to the table and Norwich recognizes this. Norwich offers two types of financial aid….Merit based financial aid and need based financial aid. Both are essential pieces in building your financial planning needs.
Once accepted to Norwich we begin the financial planning process. The first step is scholarship and merit based money. The number one question we receive from students is how do I apply for scholarships? At Norwich, it’s simple. Your application for admission also becomes your application for school. By applying and being accepted you have automatically put yourself in the pool for scholarship money. You will be selected for Norwich scholarships based on your merits, talents, and abilities displayed in your admissions file.
The second part of the financial aid process is need based aid. Need based financial aid includes things such as federal grants, loans, and workstudy. To be reviewed for need based aid you only need to fill out one form. The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form required by all schools. This form is available now and can be found at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/. The deadline for applying is March 1 but it is highly recommended that you and your family fill out this form as soon as possible to ensure you are reviewed early for need based aid while the pool of money is at it’s highest. Once your form reaches our financial planning office we will begin pulling together your full financial aid package which will include both scholarships and eligible need based financial aid.
Financing your college education can be overwhelming and scary, especially if you are new to the world of financial aid, but rest assured the Norwich Student Financial Planning team is here to work with you throughout every step of the process and to answer any questions or concerns you may have. Norwich is dedicated to working with you and your family to ensure you can afford a Norwich education.
