The FAFSA (Federal Application for Student Aid) deadline is approaching fast. Every senior should currently be working on completing their FAFSA, which will support students trying to get their post-secondary education and provide those who qualify with financial aid. 

In 2021, it became required for all LAUSD seniors to complete it, whether or not they believe that they would qualify for financial aid (or are undocumented). The priority deadline is Wednesday, March 2, 2022, and “there are lots of resources available for students to get assistance with,” according to College Counselor Dr. Renysha Scott. There is an abundance of help and support offered by Venice High’s College Counseling Office and counselors. In order to help students even further, there is a folder of resources for help with the FAFSA in the “VHS College C/O 2022”, under “Groups” in Schoology. 

On Thursday, Feb. 24 at 6:00 p.m., the College Counseling Office will host an onsite FAFSA/CADAA Night as well as one via Zoom on Saturday, February 26 at 6:00 p.m. These will be similar to the college workshops held later last semester. Students are welcome to attend these workshops with the documents needed and their parents for further assistance from staff. Here, any questions, concerns, or further clarification will be provided.

Documents required to complete your financial aid report are your parent’s tax forms, their social security numbers (if they’re citizens, however their citizenship status does not affect your ability to receive financial aid), your social security number (if you’re a citizen), and your parent’s W2 forms. All these documents should be based on their 2020 income.

Undocumented students should be working on the completion of their CADAA (California Dream Act Application) instead of the FAFSA. Students in need of further information or more help in completing their CADAA are also welcomed and encouraged to also attend the FAFSA/CADAA night. 

Completing the FAFSA gives students the opportunity to receive government assistance in paying for their college education. Venice even has its own Alumni Association scholarship where, “Venice alumni give out over $130,000 to Venice students every year,” Scott says. This particular scholarship can be found within the Scholarship folder in the VHS College Center C/O 2022 Group. The COBA Scholarship (as well as many other scholarship opportunities) can also be found in this folder. This scholarship awards $2,000 once every four years to qualified black students that plan on attending a four year university or college.

The completion of your FAFSA is not only mandatory state-wide, but extremely beneficial to students who plan on attending a college or university. Missing out on the deadline means having to wait until next year to receive government aid and student loans. Don’t miss out on the opportunity for financial aid.