WINOOSKI — New changes to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, are here. Find out what it means for your financial aid plans at a Paying for College workshop, hosted by Vermont Student Assistance Corp. VSAC will host workshops on May 3 at Middlebury Union High School auditorium at  6:30 p.m. on on May 10 at the Vergennes Union High School auditoriumat 6:30 p.m.
The workshop, which is free and open to the public, will provide parents and students with information on how to pay for college; what financial aid is available to you; what forms you need to complete and when; applying for the Vermont State Grant and other important how-to tips, like setting up your FSA ID.
The FAFSA is the basis for determining eligibility for federal Pell grants, VSAC’s Vermont State Grant, financial aid from the school that the student attends and for student loans. Simply put: no FAFSA, no financial aid.
The presentation, which normally runs between 90 minutes and two hours, provides students and their parents with information on types of financial aid and how to apply, how family contribution is calculated, how financial aid is awarded, student and parent loans — including VSAC’s Vermont Advantage loans — and alternative payment options.
If you cannot attend the session at your local high school, watch a recorded version www.vsacroadmaps.org/online-presentations/college-costs-financial-aid/.