Senior Parents

Parents of Seniors

We’ve untangled the messy, unclear process of helping you plan for college by breaking down the timeline for senior-year parents.

We get it. It might seem as though everything is against you regarding college planning. But we’re here to walk you through the senior year before your child goes to college.

Follow our timeline below for a step-by-step guide to what you must pay
attention to during your child’s senior year of high school.

1 IT’S SENIOR YEAR

By now, your child better understands where they want to go to college. Before a blink of an eye, it will be time to apply to colleges and submit for financial aid.

We’ve recognized how confusing the college planning process is for senior-year parents – and it shouldn’t be. After all, college is a considerable investment in your children’s future.

Follow our timeline below to navigate your child’s senior year of high school.

Join our Free Online Facebook Community by clicking the button below.

2 OCTOBER – MARCH
(10/01 – 3/01)

OCTOBER – MARCH (10/01 – 3/01)

October to March of your child’s senior year of high school will be the Application Stage. During the Application Stage, your child will apply to colleges and take the steps necessary to apply for financial aid. Filling out the FAFSA can be extremely daunting and tedious, especially since most of you might be doing this for the first time. (And even if you’re not, it’s still confusing.)

During these months, you’ll want to know all the critical college deadlines, the difference between public vs. private colleges, familiarize yourself with an FSA/ID Collegeboard Login, and much more.

We’ve created free go-at-your-own-pace courses to help busy, hardworking parents like yourself feel entirely confident in their decision, so you know you did everything in your power to help your child plan for their future.

When you join our Free Online Community, you’ll learn:

What information is needed to complete your college applications

How to organize a wish list of colleges, including all deadlines for each school

How to create your FSA ID and Collegeboard Login How to fill out the FAFSA

How to apply for financial aid with your CSS profile

Visit the “Join Now” button to understand college financial aid better.

3 MARCH-MAY (3/01 – 5/01)

You’ll want to review your award letters during the spring season of your child’s senior year. Upon reviewing award letters, it is helpful to create a comparison sheet to help you visually see the breakdown. What might appear to be a great award letter might not be that beneficial once you look at the breakdown.

By joining our Free Online Community, we will teach you how to compare different college award letters with our comparison sheet. Then, after you understand award letters better, we provide a step-by-step overview of how to appeal received financial aid award letters.

4 MAY-AUGUST (5/01 – 8/01)

When you reach May of your child’s senior year, you will be ready to review your appeals. During this part of the timeline, student housing deposits are due (typically on 5/01), and you’re getting ready to pay your EFC (expected family contribution).

When you join our Free Online Community, we’ll delve into popular topics:

Timeline on paying your EFC (Expected Family Contribution)

Breaking down the college timeline will ensure you’re prepared when it comes time to pay your EFC for college.

General borrowing rules

We’ll teach you what they don’t teach you on the Internet: General Borrowing Rules 101.

Federal Loans

Federal loans are provided by the U.S. Department of Education to help students and their families pay for education expenses. These loans offer several advantages over private loans, including lower interest rates, more flexible repayment options, and certain borrower protections.

State Loans

State loans are provided by individual states to help students pay for their education. These loans are typically available to residents of the state who are attending an eligible school within the state.

Private Loans

Private loans are provided by private lenders, such as banks or credit unions, to students who need additional funds to pay for their education. Unlike federal loans, private loans are not backed by the government, and they typically have higher interest rates and fewer borrower protections.

Alternate Options

Home equity
401(k) loan
IRA distribution
Life insurance
Credit cards

You will also get access to spreadsheets to help you plug-in your own information to easily calculate your EFC and more.

Click here to see if you qualify for the premium version of the Virtual Counselor

Parents of Seniors

Follow our timeline below for a step-by-step guide to what you must pay
attention to during your child’s senior year of high school.

1

IT’S SENIOR YEAR

2

OCTOBER – MARCH
(10/01 – 3/01)

OCTOBER – MARCH (10/01 – 3/01)

3

MARCH-MAY (3/01 – 5/01)

How to understand your award letters

How to understand your award letters

How to understand your award letters

4

MAY-AUGUST (5/01 – 8/01)

Senior parents

Pages

Contacts

Contact

Parents of Seniors

Follow our timeline below for a step-by-step guide to what you must pay attention to during your child’s senior year of high school.

1

IT’S SENIOR YEAR

2

OCTOBER – MARCH (10/01 – 3/01)

OCTOBER – MARCH (10/01 – 3/01)

3

MARCH-MAY (3/01 – 5/01)

How to understand your award letters

How to understand your award letters

How to understand your award letters

4

MAY-AUGUST (5/01 – 8/01)

Senior parents

Pages

Contacts

Contact

Follow our timeline below for a step-by-step guide to what you must pay
attention to during your child’s senior year of high school.

OCTOBER – MARCH
(10/01 – 3/01)