Goal: Make smart borrowing decisions.

• Check your credit: Credit Health Page

• Explore:

• Federal Loans (Direct, PLUS, Grad PLUS)

• Private Loans (if needed)

• Use the Loan Calculator to understand repayment

Goal: Lock in your money plan before the spending begins.

• Build your budget with:

• Budgeting Tips

• Cost of Living Calculator

• List monthly expected expenses

• Confirm who is covering what (you, parents, scholarships, loans)

Click for your Friendly monthly reminder: JULY

Contact financial aid office at chosen school for remaining steps

Click for your friendly monthly reminder: JULY

Goal: Max out all available funding paths.

• Continue applying using:

• Scholarship Search Tools

• Scholarship Guide

• Submit or follow up on Solicitation Letters

• Verify your FERPA access settings if you’re involving financial supporters

Goal: Get yourself physically and mentally ready for the move.

• Plan using:

• Student Travel Guide

• Holiday Travel Savings

• International Students: Check extra costs not covered by aid during school breaks

• Shop with Student Discounts on laptops & essentials

Goal: Confirm everything early — aid, portal, and documents.

• Contact your school’s financial aid office to:

• Confirm FAFSA & state grant files

• Ask about missing documents or next steps

• Set up your student portal and billing tools

• Review:

• FAFSA Guide

• State Grant Status

• Financial Aid Overview

Goal: Secure early credits, build academic momentum, involve supporters.

• Plan/schedule CLEP Exams

• Review Solicitation Letter strategy for financial supporters

• Parents: Visit the Parents Info page

• Use our Study Tools to level up learning habits

• Try active recall, Pomodoro, and spaced repetition from the Study Guide

Download & begin the Master Financial Aid Checklist PDF

• Review your Student Rights & Responsibilities

• Set up SMS Alerts

• Discuss FERPA access for parents, spouses, or supporters

• Begin building your study habit routine using the Level Up Study Guide PDF

Status on all grants and scholarship applications

Have you followed up on your state grant? Haven't heard anything? You need to call and follow up and check on your application.

Click for your Friendly monthly reminder: JUNE

Goal: Get organized. Understand your rights. Start with purpose.

• Download & begin the Master Financial Aid Checklist PDF

• Review your Student Rights & Responsibilities

• Set up SMS Alerts

• Discuss FERPA access for parents, spouses, or supporters

• Begin building your study habit routine using the Level Up Study Guide PDF

Checklist for school, credit check, savings, cosigners

Time to review your college checklist: https://studentaid.gov/sites/default/files/college-prep-checklist.pdf

Click for your Friendly monthly reminder: MAY

Check on status for any applied clubs, membership or church scholarships

Did you check to see if there were any scholarships with any clubs, churches or family membersip organizations? Unsure, ask to see

Click for your Friendly monthly reminder: APRIL

Status of Summer internship application

You have been searching for scholarships now for 3 months, how much have you applied for? Any approvals yet? Keep searching, remeber you might only hear back from 10%

Cal Grant deadline

Have you received your college acceptance letter? YES, remmber to calculate your remaining balance with th college Comparison Tool

Hopefully you submitted your state grant on time? Remember, use it or lose it.