Dec 1, 2015 4 min read

CANONSBURG – High school seniors will fill out college financial aid forms the same way others have done in years past, but the families of juniors applying for the 2017 academic year will be digging an extra year into their tax history.

“There’s been a change in federal law that requires those who are applying for the 2017 academic year to start using tax history that’s two years old. And to accommodate that, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens for that academic year on Oct. 1, 2016. Others applying for the 2016 academic year can apply starting Jan. 1, 2016,” said Michelle Anderson, associate director of enrollment at Washington & Jefferson College.

Anderson is joining Canon-McMillan High School guidance counselor Karen Rubican from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday in the school auditorium to go over changes and priorities in upcoming FAFSA documents.

“The big change we want parents to be aware about is this mandated switch in 2017 to ‘prior prior’ taxes,” Rubican said, “and that will be important to students who are already in college, as well, because they need to reapply through FAFSA every year to keep getting loans for tuition.”

Rubican said they also will review tips and tricks for prospective college-bound students, including how to boost the chances of winning competitive scholarships.

“We’ll also go over the ‘real costs’ of college using comparisons of how public schools are cheaper, but often not as generous with scholarships; sometimes private schools can be expensive up front, but you can qualify for a lot of merit-based scholarships,” Rubican said.

But despite the workshop focusing on school prices, Rubican warned against making college costs the primary consideration for a student.

“I really caution students from falling in love with any one school. And I also caution them from factoring in cost as a deterrent. Apply for many types of schools, but don’t hold yourself to one or another over cost. That’s why we do the process with FAFSA. It’s already stressful enough getting accepted; you don’t need additional stress about whether you can pay for it or not,” she said.

The average tuition has gone up each year for the past five years at almost 3.2 percent, according to collegeboard.org. The average price for a private college in 2015 – like W&J – is $32,400. Tuition for a public college for in-state residents has averaged $9,400. That does not include room and board, which sits at an average of $10,000 for both private and public schools. Interest on loans is between 4.2 and 6.8 percent, depending on whether they are subsidized or unsubsidized loans for undergraduates or graduate school applicants, according to the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEA).

Peterson’s, a college referral and consultation service, advises parents to look at their children’s savings plans as part of FAFSA needs assessment.

“An entire 20 percent of your child’s assets are considered available for college, as opposed to (12 percent of parents’) assets. Encourage your child to save, but keep college funds in a custodial account,” said Jim Turner, a Peterson’s.com analyst. “But don’t lie about your overall income or your ‘Expected Family Contribution’ data, as that can be seen as manipulation of the system.”

Time is money, too, Rubican said.

“These forms have become a lot more time sensitive, so getting them in is important. And, practically speaking, it gives you more time to make decisions regarding where you actually want to go to school,” Rubican said.

“Each school has its own deadline to receive,” Anderson said, “but for the state it’s May 1. And look to the state, too, because with PHEA, you can get in-state grants. There’s help there.”

But until the passage of a state budget, PHEA representatives said they “will not be able to establish the actual amounts of the State Grant Awards or disburse any funds to any institution.”