If you’re out there thinking college is beyond your reach because your family doesn’t have all the money in the world, you might just be surprised. I thought the same exact thing. For that, I went directly to community college. There’s no shame in that. I didn’t even want to burden my mother with thought of my college expenses. Until I learned about FAFSA (Financial aid), work-study and scholarships. And how to navigate them by staying on top of their due dates.

Knowing nothing about the process of college, I thought scholarships were just for people who were straight A students. NO! You’re telling me, if I write about my life experiences and why I deserve this scholarship, I actually have a shot at FREE money? I don’t have to pay them back? What’s the catch!!

No catch.

You guys, there’s all kinds of scholarships. You know there used to be scholarships for left handed people?

Here’s the directory to Stan State’s Scholarship website: https://www.csustan.edu/financial-aid-scholarship/scholarship-information

Out of pure luck, I found myself coming into Stan State not knowing that their tuition ranks 5th in California among the 4 year colleges for affordability. Considering that college is costly, I’m happy I made the right choice. I went into college as a part-time sales associate for a retail store called KOHL’S. And this month, I just hit 7 years. Whewww, we’ll get into that later! But with a part-time job, I needed all the help I can get to afford college.

Something you should know is that applying for FAFSA (financial aid) should be done early! I even missed a semester because I didn’t know there’s a time frame for the year of financial aid you’re applying for.

Example: If you need financial aid for the year 2021-2022, you will need to apply during 2020 till beginning 2021. Please don’t miss these deadlines, I did once and I was terrified that my classes were going to be dropped because my fee’s weren’t paid. However, they weren’t. I was so lucky that the only downfall was that I couldn’t register for the next semester until the fee’s were paid. Meaning, I was working countless hours just to pay for classes.

Save yourself the headache!

Whether you work part-time or full-time, the way to make it in college is by staying on top of due dates. Trust me from my experience now that I’m a senior. Mark them down in your calendars, planners, post-it notes or reminders on your phone.

For me I remember things visually, so I write them down in pen or sharpie on a calendar in my room. Plan ahead and keep these plans in plain sight that way you’re always reminding yourself.

With love,

Aliyah