Financial aid is an important task a student must face in college. Many students do not understand financial aid and get lost in its details.

Cornerstone University’s Student Financial Services office has people that can answer any student’s questions and help them better understand the decisions they make.  Scott Stewart, controller and director of Student Financial Services, and the other faculty in the financial aid offices will do their best to guide students in finding the right financial aid.

 “We will point the students in the right direction, but the students have to do the work,” said Paula Helbert, a student financial services counselor.

The first step is filling out a FAFSA form and submitting it.  The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.  A link to the FAFSA can be found on CU’s Web site under offices, then federal Web site. The FAFSA has to be filed no matter what type of aid you are seeking.

The FAFSA will require each student to create a Personal Identification Number. The PIN never expires and will be the same one used every semester to resubmit the FAFSA. Once the form is filled out the first time, each student has to check the information and resubmit the application each semester.

 “Don’t pay anyone to file your FAFSA for you,” Helbert said. “There are many services out there that will charge students to have it filed. The FAFSA is free to file and only takes a few minutes.”

After filing the FAFSA, students can apply for loans, scholarships and grants. Students can easily locate information on any of these types of aid on the Internet, especially on CU’s Web site under financial services. Institutional scholarships are available and information on them can be found on CU’s  Web site.

 Kathee Lundin, assistant director of financial services, suggests students, “be proactive from the very beginning,” she said. “Persistence really pays off.”

Persistence in financial aid means looking for it in unexpected places. Most students don’t realize that many of the companies and charities in their communities offer need-based grants.  These grants are sometimes small but they can add up quickly. Places such as clubs, churches, state government and military groups are offering grants also. Grants can also be found at a student’s or their parent’s place of employment.

Another form of financial aid students, especially on-campus residents, can use is the work-study program that Cornerstone offers.  This program can give students the independence to work their way through college and enjoy all of the aspects of resident life.

According to Scott Stewart, controller and director of financial services, the most common type of financial aid is student loans. These can be obtained through private and public lenders. Loans can be a quick-fix to tuition bills but students have to remember that loans will have to be paid back sometimes and need to be careful of high interest rates.

All of these forms of financial aid do have deadlines and following them will increase your chances of receiving the best aid available.

“Getting applications and the FAFSA done early, helps us help you,” Lundin said.  “Award letters come out the end of March and fall semesters bill in June. Deadlines for Cornerstone’s paperwork are very important too.”

“Keep communication with financial services, we are here to help. But also don’t ignore mail from the financial aid office. It is important,” Lundin said.

Financial aid offices in the Robert T. Ketcham building are open every day from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and a student does not need an appointment. Walk in with questions and someone will help find the answers.