FAFSA – College Admission at Loyola

Scholarship Searches

By | February 29, 2016

Affording a college education can be expensive, especially if you plan to dorm on-campus. Besides financial aid from the FAFSA, scholarships (external and internal) can substantially reduce expenses. But getting a scholarship isn’t easy. You have to earn it; you need to meet all the qualifications that the scholarship specifies for.

One advise I have for you- create an account through Fastweb. This site sends emails every week and suggests a list of scholarships that match certain characteristics and info that you provide in your profile. You do not have log-in and log-out from the site consistently; you get informed of scholarships all through email, which makes it so easy and efficient to use. From this site, I was able to get some scholarships and with that, I can testify that this site is worthy of trying out.

Internal scholarships (aid from the school) are usually found the school website. For Loyola, there are 2 kinds of internal scholarships- merit-based and non-merit based. Usually the merit-based scholarships are awarded when you first apply for school admittance. The non-merit scholarships vary greatly and they are not automatically awarded to you- you need to apply for these scholarships separately.

Here is a link to the LUC scholarships: h

ttp://www.luc.edu/finaid/scholarships/undergraduate/

I highly encourage you to keep in touch with tons of companies (big or small) and see if scholarships are available. Sometimes, having connections/networking can really help because they can personally put in a good recommendation for you to the scholarship committee.

If you have any other questions regarding scholarship searches, feel free to leave a message down below or contact the financial aid office at 773.508.7704

New Year’s Resolutions

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | December 30, 2014

While I’m sure many of you already have your own New Year’s resolutions lined up for 2015, I am sharing what I would consider to be a helpful list of resolutions for a college-bound, high school senior:

Don’t let senioritis get the best of you. Your second semester grades still matter, so don’t risk losing admission or a scholarship by letting your grades slip. You will have to send in a final high school transcript to your college, so make sure it will impress them.
Create a senior year bucket list (go to prom, try out for the spring musical, join a new club, etc).
Take a ton of photos of your friends & family and actually print them out so you have some to decorate your residence hall room next year.
Make a pro/con list, research, and visit all schools remaining on your short list. Make sure your list has no more than ten schools (hopefully much less) by the time you file FAFSA (which you should do by March 1st).
Learn how to cook a meal in a microwave so you can become the top chef of your floor next year.
Open a student checking/savings account, learn how to write a check, and actively start to manage your own budget so you won’t have to learn this on your own at college.
Learn how to do your own laundry. Then you can go to college and teach some of your roommates/floormates/suitemates.
Enjoy every remaining moment of your senior year. You have some once-in-a-lifetime moments to look forward to so make sure you appreciate them.

Happy New Years from the Undergraduate Admission Office!

Breaking Down Loyola’s Deadlines

By Lindsy Fagerstrom | September 9, 2014

Every school has their own set of deadlines and it can be a lot to remember. Below I have outlined all of Loyola’s major deadlines and share some helpful tips to follow throughout the process. My #1 tip: create a calendar that lists ALL of the Loyola’s deadlines (and other collegiate/scholarship deadlines) so you have all of the information in one place where it won’t get mixed up with homework assignments, exam dates, and your schedule of extra-curricular activities.

December 1st

This is the priority deadline to submit Loyola’s application.

What does this mean? You must submit your online application, your essay, one letter of recommendation from a teacher or counselor, all high school transcripts, and your ACT or SAT scores in order for your application to be complete. If you meet this deadline, you will automatically be considered for all of Loyola’s Merit-based Scholarships, which can go a long way in helping to pay for your collegiate experience.

Suggestion: Don’t wait to start your application! You can send in your application and supporting materials in any order so request documents & scores right away so your school or College Board has plenty of time to submit everything for you before the deadline approaches. It’s also better to get an early start because your senior year will only get busier and we near the winter season and you’ll want plenty of time to spend on your applications and essays.

February 1st

This is the general deadline to submit applications for the Honors Program, the Business Honors Program, and for specific scholarship opportunities that require specific applications or essays.

What does this mean? Many programs and scholarships will have their own deadlines, but many of them will be February 1st or early in the month.

Suggestion: Each one will have their own separate requirements and process so be sure to closely monitor everything to be sure you don’t miss the deadline!

March 1st

This is the suggested deadline to file FAFSA (or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid).

What does this mean? You will want to file FAFSA to insure that you receive the best possible financial aid package and don’t lose out on any financial assistance because funds could eventually run out if you file to late in the year.

Suggestion: Even if you don’t think you will receive any financial assistance, you should still apply and the results may surprise you. Submit your FAFSA as early as possible (even if this means using last year’s tax information and updating it later on in the spring). However, if you do miss the deadline, you should absolutely still apply.

May 1st

This is the national enrollment deadline when colleges and universities across the country ask students to make a final commitment to a single school.

What does this mean? This is your deadline to submit the $500 enrollment deposit to Loyola. If you miss this deadline, the class could potentially fill and close resulting in you losing your opportunity to attend Loyola.

Suggestion: Make your enrollment deposit sooner rather than later. You are able to make your deposit starting the day you are admitted and it is refundable through May 1st should you change you mind.