Contact Our Financial Aid Advisor

WCPSS provides access to a financial aid advisor for all high schools. Our contact at AFHS is Ms. Brannan (lbrannan@wcpss.net). Click here to schedule an appointment.
        

October 31, 2022 Update

Congratulations, welcome to your high school senior year!  The best starting point for all financial aid is to complete the FAFSA application, as both four-year colleges and community colleges use this application as a basis for awarding financial aid to their students. The FAFSA application for the Class of 2023 opened on October 1, 2022.

The links and information below will help you get started with the financial aid process.      

FAFSA information

• How financial aid works
• A review of FAFSA and the financial aid process
• The FAFSA Application - before creating your account or completing the FAFSA, be sure to review the information below
  • Understanding the FAFSA Process
  • Tips for Completing the FAFSA
  • Create an Federal Student Aid (FSA) account
    • Remember the FSA account & FAFSA should be in the student's name - but parents also need to create an account and link it to their student's account. Therefore, students should create their account first
  • FAFSA Checklist - FAFSA application checklist of items you need to gather to complete the application.
  • Common FAFSA Mistakes 
  • Tips for transferring your tax information into the FAFSA
  • Estimate your federal aid
    • The FAFSA Estimator will help you have an idea of the federal government aid you might receive. Federal grant aid is money you do not have to pay back. It consists of Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Teacher Education Assistance for College & High Education Grants. It might also include work-study programs on the college campus as well as a few scholarships. The maximum for Pell Grants for the 2022-23 school year was almost $7000/year. It is expected to go up each year from 2023-2025. 
  • 529 & the FAFSA
    • A 529 college savings plan account that is owned by the student or the parent must be reported as an investment asset on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
  • You've completed the FAFSA, so what's next?
    • After completing the FAFSA 
    • Five things to do after the FAFSA
    • Review your Student Aid Report (SAR)

Other Important Information for Financial Aid & College Planning

• RDS Basics - all NC students with plans to attend college & community college in NC must complete the Residency Determination Service to attest that you are an in-state resident for tuition and financial aid purposes.
• Financial Aid Timeline
• Senior Year College Prep Checklist
• "Food for Thought" (short video) to help you understand the financial aid process and how to qualify for more college financial aid 
            

CSS Profile

Some NC colleges require the CSS Profile application in addition to the FAFSA application.  See information below.

• CSS Profile - The CSS Profile is required by five universities in NC: Elon University, UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke University, Davidson University, & Wake Forest University.
• CSS Profile Step by Step Walkthrough 
• CSS Profile Participating Institutions and Programs - full list of schools across the US that require the CSS Profile to be considered for financial aid