FAFSA: Who, What, When, How & Why?

Getting you through FAFSA, one question at a time.

 

• Who

  • Who Should File a FAFSA?
    If you are interested in getting any Federal Financial Aid, including federal direct loans, you need to file the FAFSA at www.fafsa.gov/  to become eligible. Federal loans are almost always preferable to private loans.  In addition, many colleges’ need-based scholarships rely on FAFSA information to verify that you are eligible. In short, everyone should file the FAFSA – even if you don’t think you’ll qualify for any federal aid

   

  • Whose Information is Needed to File a FAFSA?
    This answer depends on if you are a dependent student or not. Unsure if you’re Dependent or Independent? Check here.(Note: this is not the same as being independent for tax filing)Dependent students: You need tax information for both you AND your parents. If your parents are divorced, you need the information on whoever you receive the most support (51%) from.

    Independent students: You only need your own information unless you are married. If so, you will need your spouse’s information as well.

• What

  • What is the FAFSA Anyway?
    The FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.

   

  • What Do I Need to Fill it out?
    You’ll need a computer, your school codes, and items on the FAFSA checklist.

   

  • What If Things Change After I File The FAFSA?
    If your family situation has a significant change after you’ve filed your FAFSA, and any time while you’re in school, stop by your Financial Aid office to see if you qualify for a “special circumstance”.  These could include job loss, divorce, death of a parent, child birth or other unexpected situations that impact your financial status.

   

  • What Types of Federal Financial Aid are there?
    There are three main types of financial aid:
    1. Grants — Federal Pell Grants do not have to be repaid and are sometimes referred to as “gift aid”.  Grants are similar to scholarships, except that they are often for those who demonstrate financial need, where scholarships can be either merit-based or need-based.2. Student Loans — This is the type you hear about most often.  Filling out the FAFSA is required to be eligible for Federal Direct loans.  Federal loans are almost always preferable to private loans from lending institutions, because they have fixed interest rates and flexible repayment options.3. Federal Work Study (FWS) — Work study may provide you with more opportunities to find on-campus jobs. Rather than being given the funds in the beginning of the semester like loans and grants, FWS earnings are distributed to you as part of your paycheck.

• Where

  • Where Do I Go to File the FAFSA?
    Always go to FAFSA.gov to file your FAFSA! There are some other websites that will fill it out and charge you a fee at the end. Filling out the FAFSA should always be free.

   

  • Where Do I Get the School Code and FSA ID?
    You’ll need the school code for whatever schools you are interested in applying to. They are available here. Your FSA ID is used to login and electronically sign your FAFSA.  Set it up at here.

   

  • Where Do I Get Help?
    College Goal Sunday will be held on Sunday, February 21^st at 2:00 p.m. in Indiana and it provides FREE FAFSA filing assistance. It is at Ivy Tech in West Lafayette, but to find a location near you in one of the participating 42 states, go to www.CollegeGoalSundayUsa.org.  You can always call the Financial Aid office of your prospective school to ask questions as well.

• When

  • When Can I start the FAFSA?
    You can begin the FAFSA any time after January 1^st of the year you plan to attend college.  The FAFSA uses the student/parent tax information from the previous year. You can estimate the required information to beat a college priority filing date, but the info must be corrected after the taxes are complete!

   

  • When is the FAFSA Due?
    If you are a Purdue student, the FAFSA priority filing date is March 1st, so be sure to have it done by then! Other colleges (and states) have their own priority dates. Check for deadlines here.

• How

  • How Do I Get my Financial Aid?
    Your financial aid is sent directly to your school and they will apply it directly toward your billing and send any excess aid to you to be used for books and other education related expenses. The exception is Work Study which needs to be earned by working, and is paid via a paycheck.

   

  • How Much is the Maximum That Can be Borrowed?
    Most students don’t know this, but there is a maximum amount of Federal Loans you can take out each year. There is also a maximum amount you can take throughout your college career! If you take the maximum amount for four years, there won’t be as much left for a fifth year if needed. Plan ahead!

    Remember: Everything you borrow you will have to pay back with interest for the next 10 (or more) years. For every $5,000 you borrow at 6% interest, you pay back $6,661.23 over 10 years ($55.51/ month)

  • 

    Chart courtesy of Penn State University

• Why

  • Why Should I Do a FAFSA?
    Other than qualifying for grants and Federal Loans? Many state grants and institutional scholarships require FAFSA information submitted. Even if you aren’t sure, it is always worth submitting!

High School Seniors Week 4: You’ve Picked a College…Now What?!

Raysha Duncan, Financial Aid Administrator & Purdue Alumna
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Get excited! Your future awaits you! Take some time to absorb the good feelings after months of stress and financial aid inquiries and balancing senior activities on top of preparing for college. Then, get down to business.

Enjoy Your Last Month of High School!

You only go to high school once. Enjoy being in the same hallways with the same people for a few more weeks and knowing nearly everybody you’re in class with because unless you’re going to a very small college, that will never happen again. I know my high school has a lot of silly senior traditions, and even if they seem silly, participate! You only get to do them once. Pick out a nice outfit for graduation too. You’ll be taking pictures, and they’ll last forever.

Research Your University

Look into some specifics: Where will you live? Do you need to do/register/pay for anything else before you can officially become a (insert school mascot here)? Know what is expected of you before you enroll. Getting all set up way in advance is a good idea because you’ll have enough to worry about with moving out of your parents’ house and into a dorm without having to find a room last minute. Make sure any and all fees and deposits are paid so this transition from high school to college is as smooth as can be.

Make Sure You’re Happy with the Major You’ve Chosen

Changing majors is a really common occurrence with college students. You’re likely to change your major at least once in your undergraduate career. Take a few moments to sit back and make sure you’re still happy with your choice for your first year of college. Chances are that you’re completely satisfied, but it’s been almost six months since you applied, you could have changed your mind. And, if changing your major sounds like something you’d like to do, get in contact with your university and see what steps need to be taken in order to make the switch and any impacts that could have on any scholarships you received. Don’t jump into it right away though; mull it over before making the call.

High School Seniors Week 3: First Year Housing Hunt

Raysha Duncan, Financial Aid Administrator & Purdue Alumna
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Not all housing options are Elle Woods-style sorority houses or the run-down apartments in which Rory Gilmore finished her years at Yale. And not all dorms are co-ed; you can find one where you won’t be confronted by the opposite sex in the shower room every day. There’s also the option of living off-campus in a house or apartment with 3 of your closest friends, but only if you start your hunt soon because they can fill up fast. Living at home with mom and dad (and siblings and high school drama and Fido) is always an option if you’re near your campus as well.

Residence Halls

Residence halls are like the rooms you see the kids at Hogwarts living in: a common room flanked by bedroom spaces. Except, usually, instead of sharing a room with your entire class year (or Neville Longbottom) you get to share a room with 0-3 people, and you may or may not have your own private bathroom. There’s not a one-size-fits-all motto with college dorms either. There’s a variety of sizes and amenities to choose from: single, double, triple, suite, air-conditioned, non-air-conditioned, private bathroom, shared bathroom, co-ed res hall, same-sex res hall…the list can go on and on. If you decide to live on-campus in a residence hall, then you have to choose which style of room is right for you (and your wallet). Singles tend to run more price-wise than doubles or triples. Some residence halls are nicer than others and have more amenities, so they typically cost more, even if it’s for the same size room.

Residence halls also tend to have the built-in meal plan options, a nice bonus because you can just walk to your meals at the dining court and not have to make them or clean up after them.

Off-Campus

Off-campus housing can consist of apartments, rental houses, sororities, fraternities, and any cooperative housing your university may have. Freshmen typically don’t live in fraternities and sororities their first semester, so we’ll focus on apartments and rental houses here. The nice thing about an apartment or rental house is that you can have more space than in a residence hall (maybe even a pet?) and you don’t have as many restrictions; Purdue freshmen who live on campus, for example, are not allowed to have a car on campus (unless they win a parking pass lotto), but you could have one at your apartment if you went that route. Apartment and house rental prices can vary greatly depending on the location to campus, the amenities offered, and the number of people in the apartment/house.  Since your rent and food costs aren’t billed through the school, so you would have to practice your budgeting skills: paying rent every month, paying bills, and buying your own groceries.

If you plan on living in an apartment your first year, you may miss out on some of the dorm bonding your peers have, but part of that bonding comes from close quarters which you may be able to live without.

Home with Mom and Dad

Living at home can save you money, and loan debt, in the long run if you’re able to do it… BUT some would view it as a restriction on their personal freedoms in college because they’re still in their childhood bedroom under their parents roof, sometimes with younger siblings (or three, in my case), and still subject to work around their family’s schedule. You’ll also be subject to parking restrictions and/or the bus system at your university, but you’ll be able to save up for a new car now instead of scrimping for more Cup-O-Noodles. It can be tough, it has been sometimes in my experience, but if you don’t mind and you want to save yourself from getting into unnecessary debt, then I’d say give it a shot.

And if the option you choose doesn’t work out, you can always try something different next year. You’ve got four years ahead of you, plenty of time to test the different housing options.

High School Seniors Week 2: Understanding Financial Aid

Raysha Duncan, Financial Aid Administrator & Purdue Alumna
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Financial Aid can be a tough concept to understand: financial = money, aid = help… So it’s free money that colleges give you to pay for your school, right? Well, kind of. Some forms of financial aid can be free money other forms of financial aid you will have to pay back.

The first step in getting financial aid is to file a FAFSA, and filing it on time. Filing your FAFSA on time is especially important so you are eligible for more types of financial aid, meaning state aid (if you’re a resident of the state where you attend college) and university aid. Once the universities you have been accepted to receive your FAFSA, they will be able to put together a financial aid award for you and calculate your estimated financial aid awards.

Financial aid consists of two main types of financial aid: gift aid and self-help aid.

Gift Aid

This refers to all scholarships and grants, or, to put it more simply, all the types of aid that you don’t have to pay back. Scholarships can be need or merit-based and students can get them from various sources. Typically, students receive scholarships either from their university or from a private donor. There are websites such as www.scholarships.com and www.fastweb.net to help students find all kinds of private scholarships. There are some pretty obscure scholarships out there, so if you look hard enough, you may even find one that fits your eccentric hobbies.

For information on grants and scholarships available to Purdue students, please visit our website.

Self-Help Aid

This type of aid consists of loans and Federal Work Study. Loans are the most common type of self-help aid; they’re also the only type of financial aid that really makes it on the news. Students are expected to pay back their student loans once they have graduated and depending on what type of loan you take, there may be interest accruing on it while you’re in school. Federal Student Loans consist of Perkins Loans and Stafford Loans. Parents may also have the option of taking out a Parent PLUS Loan to help cover any remaining costs that the student has; Parent PLUS loans are taken out in the parent’s name, so the parent is the one who is expected to pay them back. Students also have the option of taking out private student loans, which are loans they apply for through a third-party lender and are then sent to their college.

It’s important to remember that ALL LOANS HAVE TO BE PAID BACK, so always try to borrow as little as possible so you aren’t burdened with huge loan payments once you graduate college.

This may seem like a bit of a dry topic, but it is so important. Take some time and learn all you can so you’re well-informed on the financial aid you’re receiving and make sure you know what’s expected of you in order to keep the aid you get.  If this article did not answer all your burning questions make sure you do not assume an answer… give your college’s financial aid office a call.

High School Seniors Week 1: Choosing A College

Raysha Duncan, Financial Aid Administrator & Purdue Alumna
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into the top 5 colleges of your dreams! Your future is bright and many good things will come in your future…the typical fortune cookie stuff. But, how do you choose which college will be graced by your presence?

High school seniors headed off to earn their Bachelor’s degrees have about a month to make this decision…and it’s a big one. There are many things to take into consideration when choosing a college including, but not limited to: financial aid offers, location, major/program, and personal/lifestyle preferences.

Financial Aid Offers

With a lot of students, the final decision comes down to the money. And with student loan debt rising each year, this is a very responsible way to choose your college. It’s important to sit down with your family and hash out what they, realistically, can help you with and what you as the student are going to be expected to pay.  Remember, college is a four or five year investment, so think long-term financing; not just the first year. This is a tough conversation to have, any conversation about money always is, but it’s an important one.

Location, Location, Location

This can be a BIG factor in where you go to college, and you probably already thought this one over when you were applying to schools. How far away is too far? Or on the flip side, how close is too close? Some students like the idea of being able to go home every other weekend, while others are okay with going home just for breaks. Don’t try to be tough about it, if you like to be around your family then stay near home (and maybe even live at home)! But, if you like your space and you’re okay with having your family 1,000 miles away then go and be free! We homebodies envy you.

Major/Program

It’s really important that the college you attend has a program you’re actually interested in pursuing. While it may tempting to apply to that college because your BFF is going there or they have really awesome-looking housing or you may run into a celebrity there, the real reason you’re going to college is to learn and get your degree. If you’ve already made sure that all of your top picks have your major/program, then be sure to research and compare them. Look into their rankings, job placement percentages, faculty, and classes offered. And if you’re interested in a specific concentration, make sure they have that too. Purdue’s Computer Science program, for example, has a variety of “tracks” for students to choose from when pursuing their degree allowing students to focus in more narrowly on what they’re interested in, a good option for students who have a specific interest.

Personal/Lifestyle Preferences

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before… But there is a big difference between a big school and a small school, a rural school and an urban school, a liberal arts school and a STEM school. If you like access to museums and art and culture, then a rural school may not be your best choice but if you want access to the outdoors and hiking trails, then a rural school may be perfect. Most schools, like Purdue, don’t necessarily fit perfectly into these few categories (besides, BIG!) but they can have a bit of everything. Look into what each school has that matters to you: How many people go to this school? What are the average class sizes? How big are sports? Do you have access to the local community or is campus off by itself?

 

You know what you like better than anybody, and you’re going to be at your college of choice for four years, you need to make sure you’re making a reasonable choice for you.

High School Seniors: Prep Some More…

Raysha Duncan Purdue University Student and Peer Counselor
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

You’ve got your college picked out and you know where you’re headed in the fall. You’ve probably looked into housing and now you’re just waiting to hear back who your roommate is for the year. Senior year is wrapping up, you’ve probably had prom at this point or are going to soon. Summer is on its way! Time to relax! … and freak out about heading to college in a few short months. Here are some things you can do to keep preparing for the big move:

Figure out the Finances

College is an investment. You will be spending a lot of money to get your degree, and you should make sure that you have the first year (at least) figured out before you head off to school. When you chose your college, you probably narrowed your choice down based on the financial aid award. Review that again and make sure you understand it. If you don’t, or want details on how to apply for loans, be sure to call your financial aid office for help. Don’t wait until the last minute to figure things out, know well in advance if mom and dad expect you to pay your half of the bill or how much you need to take out in loans.

Read About What to Expect as a Freshman

Everybody’s college experience is different. I didn’t live in a sorority, so I can’t advise someone on how to ‘go Greek’, but there are people out there who can. It may be summer, but doing some reading on what to expect in college (and how to stay healthy living in a dorm) can be helpful. Also, you’ll be bringing in lots of knowledge that your peers may not have giving you a quick way to bond with your dorm-mates by doling out all the knowledge you learned over the summer.  Carly Heitlinger’s The Freshman 50 e-book is really helpful for students adjusting to college, and so are her blog-posts from her Georgtown days.

Enjoy a Final Summer of Freedom

Not to sound melodramatic, but this is the last summer before the rest of your life. You’re not in high school cramming in summer reading and working that awful summer job. And once you get to college, you’ll soon learn that your summers are all about getting ahead and you will actually be using them whether that be doing an internship or taking extra classes or working a part-time job in the field you’re interested in. So, this really is your last summer to do what you want to do with your time. You’re not working to get ahead or get in credit hours. Enjoy it! Lay by the pool, work a part-time job, have fun with friends you won’t see until next summer…just enjoy it.

 

High School Seniors Week 4: You Picked a School! Now What?!?!

Raysha Duncan Purdue University Student and Peer Counselor
www.purdue.edu/mymoney

Get excited! Your future awaits you! Take some time to absorb the good feelings after months of stress and financial aid inquiries and balancing senior activities on top of preparing for college. Then, get down to business.

Enjoy Your Last Month of High School!

You only go to high school once. Enjoy being in the same hallways with the same people for a few more weeks and knowing nearly everybody you’re in class with because unless you’re going to a very small college, that will never happen again. I know my high school has a lot of silly senior traditions, and even if they seem silly, participate! You only get to do them once. Pick out a nice outfit for graduation too. You’ll be taking pictures, and they’ll last forever.

Research Your University

Look into some specifics: Where will you live? Do you need to do/register/pay for anything else before you can officially become a (insert school mascot here)? Know what is expected of you before you enroll. Getting all set up way in advance is a good idea because you’ll have enough to worry about with moving out of your parents’ house and into a dorm without having to find a room last minute. Make sure any and all fees and deposits are paid so this transition from high school to college is as smooth as can be.

Make Sure You’re Happy with the Major You’ve Chosen

Changing majors is a really common occurrence with college students. You’re likely to change your major at least once in your undergraduate career. Take a few moments to sit back and make sure you’re still happy with your choice for your first year of college. Chances are that you’re completely satisfied, but it’s been almost six months since you applied, you could have changed your mind. And, if changing your major sounds like something you’d like to do, get in contact with your university and see what steps need to be taken in order to make the switch and any impacts that could have on any scholarships you received. Don’t jump into it right away though; mull it over before making the call.

High School Seniors Week 3: Housing Hunt

Raysha Duncan Purdue University Student and Peer Counselor

Not all housing options are Elle Woods-style sorority houses or the run-down apartments in which Rory Gilmore finished her years at Yale. And not all dorms are co-ed; you can find one where you won’t be confronted by the opposite sex in the shower room every day. There’s also the option of living off-campus in a house or apartment with 3 of your closest friends, but only if you start your hunt soon because they can fill up fast. Living at home with mom and dad (and siblings and high school drama and Fido) is always an option if you’re near your campus as well.

Dorms

College Dorm Room

Dorms, short for dormitories, are like the rooms you see the kids at Hogwarts living in: a common room flanked by bedroom spaces. Except, usually, instead of sharing a room with your entire class year (or Neville Longbottom) you get to share a room with 0-3 people, and you may or may not have your own private bathroom. There’s not a one-size-fits-all motto with college dorms either. There’s a variety of sizes and amenities to choose from: single, double, triple, suite, air-conditioned, non-air-conditioned, private bathroom, shared bathroom, co-ed dorm, same-sex dorm…the list can go on and on. If you decide to live on-campus in a dorm, then you have to choose which style of room is right for you (and your wallet). Singles tend to run more price-wise than doubles or triples. Some dorms are nicer than others and have more amenities, so they typically cost more, even if it’s for the same size room.

Dorms also tend to have the built-in meal plan options, a nice bonus because you can just walk to your meals at the dining court and not have to make them or clean up after them.

Off-Campus

Off-campus housing can consist of apartments, rental houses, sororities, fraternities, and any cooperative housing your university may have. Freshmen typically don’t live in fraternities and sororities their first semester, so we’ll focus on apartments and rental houses here. The nice thing about an apartment or rental house is that you can have more space than in a dorm (maybe even a pet?) and you don’t have as many restrictions; Purdue freshmen who live on campus, for example, are not allowed to have a car on campus (unless they win a parking pass lotto), but you could have one at your apartment if you went that route. Apartment and house rental prices can vary greatly depending on the location to campus, the amenities offered, and the number of people in the apartment/house.  Since your rent and food costs aren’t billed through the school, so you would have to practice your budgeting skills: paying rent every month, paying bills, and buying your own groceries.

If you plan on living in an apartment your first year, you may miss out on some of the dorm bonding your peers have, but part of that bonding comes from close quarters which you may be able to live without.

Home with Mom and Dad

Photo from: bedding.store51.com

I’ve written about this option previously (and got interviewed by Reuters!), but it’s still a viable option to discuss here. Living at home can save you money, and loan debt, in the long run if you’re able to do it… BUT some would view it as a restriction on their personal freedoms in college because they’re still in their childhood bedroom under their parents roof, sometimes with younger siblings (or three, in my case), and still subject to work around their family’s schedule. You’ll also be subject to parking restrictions and/or the bus system at your university, but you’ll be able to save up for a new car now instead of scrimping for more Cup-O-Noodles. It can be tough, it has been sometimes in my experience, but if you don’t mind and you want to save yourself from getting into unnecessary debt, then I’d say give it a shot.

And if the option you choose doesn’t work out, you can always try something different next year. You’ve got four years ahead of you, plenty of time to test the different housing options.

High School Seniors Week 2: Understanding Financial Aid

Raysha Duncan Purdue University Student and Peer Counselor

Financial Aid can be a tough concept to understand: financial = money, aid = help… So it’s free money that colleges give you to pay for your school, right? Well, kind of. Some forms of financial aid can be free money other forms of financial aid you will have to pay back.

The first step in getting financial aid is to file a FAFSA, and filing it on time. Filing your FAFSA on time is especially important so you are eligible for more types of financial aid, meaning state aid (if you’re a resident of the state where you attend college) and university aid. Once the universities you have been accepted to receive your FAFSA, they will be able to put together a financial aid award for you and calculate your estimated financial aid awards.

Financial aid consists of two main types of financial aid: gift aid and self-help aid.

Gift Aid

Photo by: Petr Kratochvil

This refers to all scholarships and grants, or, to put it more simply, all the types of aid that you don’t have to pay back. Scholarships can be need or merit-based and students can get them from various sources. Typically, students receive scholarships either from their university or from a private donor. There are websites such as www.scholarships.com and www.fastweb.net to help students find all kinds of private scholarships. There are some pretty obscure scholarships out there, so if you look hard enough, you may even find one that fits your eccentric hobbies.

For information on grants and scholarships available to Purdue students, please visit our website.

Self-Help Aid

Photo by: Mattbuck

This type of aid consists of loans and Federal Work Study. Loans are the most common type of self-help aid; they’re also the only type of financial aid that really makes it on the news. Students are expected to pay back their student loans once they have graduated and depending on what type of loan you take, there may be interest accruing on it while you’re in school. Federal Student Loans consist of Perkins Loans and Stafford Loans. Parents may also have the option of taking out a Parent PLUS Loan to help cover any remaining costs that the student has; Parent PLUS loans are taken out in the parent’s name, so the parent is the one who is expected to pay them back. Students also have the option of taking out private student loans, which are loans they apply for through a third-party lender and are then sent to their college.

It’s important to remember that ALL LOANS HAVE TO BE PAID BACK, so always try to borrow as little as possible so you aren’t burdened with huge loan payments once you graduate college.

This may seem like a bit of a dry topic, but it is so important. Take some time and learn all you can so you’re well-informed on the financial aid you’re receiving and make sure you know what’s expected of you in order to keep the aid you get.  If this article did not answer all your burning questions make sure you do not assume an answer… give your college’s financial aid office a call.

High School Seniors Week 1: Picking Your College

Raysha Duncan Purdue University Student and Peer Counselor

Photo by: christmasgrapicsplus.com

Congratulations! You’ve been accepted into the top 5 colleges of your dreams! Your future is bright and many good things will come in your future…the typical fortune cookie stuff. But, how do you choose which college will be graced by your presence?

High school seniors headed off to earn their Bachelor’s degrees have about a month to make this decision…and it’s a big one. There are many things to take into consideration when choosing a college including, but not limited to: financial aid offers, location, major/program, and personal/lifestyle preferences.

Financial Aid Offers

With a lot of students, the final decision comes down to the money. And with student loan debt rising each year, this is a very responsible way to choose your college. It’s important to sit down with your family and hash out what they, realistically, can help you with and what you as the student are going to be expected to pay.  Remember, college is a four or five year investment, so think long-term financing; not just the first year. This is a tough conversation to have, any conversation about money always is, but it’s an important one.

Location, Location, Location

This can be a BIG factor in where you go to college, and you probably already thought this one over when you were applying to schools. How far away is too far? Or on the flip side, how close is too close? Some students like the idea of being able to go home every other weekend, while others are okay with going home just for breaks. Don’t try to be tough about it, if you like to be around your family then stay near home (and maybe even live at home)! But, if you like your space and you’re okay with having your family 1,000 miles away then go and be free! We homebodies envy you.

Major/Program

It’s really important that the college you attend has a program you’re actually interested in pursuing. While it may tempting to apply to that college because your BFF is going there or they have really awesome-looking housing or you may run into a celebrity there, the real reason you’re going to college is to learn and get your degree. If you’ve already made sure that all of your top picks have your major/program, then be sure to research and compare them. Look into their rankings, job placement percentages, faculty, and classes offered. And if you’re interested in a specific concentration, make sure they have that too. Purdue’s Computer Science program, for example, has a variety of “tracks” for students to choose from when pursuing their degree allowing students to focus in more narrowly on what they’re interested in, a good option for students who have a specific interest.

Personal/Lifestyle Preferences

I’m sure you’ve heard this one before… But there is a big difference between a big school and a small school, a rural school and an urban school, a liberal arts school and a STEM school. If you like access to museums and art and culture, then a rural school may not be your best choice but if you want access to the outdoors and hiking trails, then a rural school may be perfect. Most schools, like Purdue, don’t necessarily fit perfectly into these few categories (besides, BIG!) but they can have a bit of everything. Look into what each school has that matters to you: How many people go to this school? What are the average class sizes? How big are sports? Do you have access to the local community or is campus off by itself?

 

You know what you like better than anybody, and you’re going to be at your college of choice for four years, you need to make sure you’re making a reasonable choice and that you’re comfortable there.