Seniors:

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) opens Oct. 1. Now is the time to create your account so you are ready to go, because it takes a few business days to verify both your identity and your child’s.

All high school seniors must complete the FAFSA or a waiver to graduate per state law. 

Some schools or scholarships also require the CSS profile. Check the list of schools that require it before you take the time to fill it out because it’s a doozy.

As a reminder, the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara applications open to seniors in October and are due Nov. 15 for honors or arts students, and Jan. 31 for everyone else. These are renewable, and you can apply in multiple categories.

Sophomores and Juniors:

For those who have sophomores or juniors in high school, the 2026 tax year is something you should pay attention to. The taxes you will use for your freshman year of college lag behind when you enroll.

The tax year that starts in January of sophomore year and ends in December of junior year is the FAFSA tax documentation used to determine eligibility for your freshman-year college financial aid. 

FAFSA does not count money in retirement, your primary residence value if you own (rental property and vacation homes do count as assets), or 529 accounts held in anybody else’s name besides yours or your child’s.

So if you have grandparents who have a 529 set up for your child, keep it in their name; you do not want to have any control over it. Otherwise, you will have to report it in your FAFSA documents, which will likely decrease your financial aid package.

Another consideration is when you fill out the FAFSA, you will be asked how much you have in your various checking and savings accounts. It is a single snapshot of a day that you report it.

So if you happen to have a large amount of money in your checking or savings account on the 25th of the month, but then pay rent or a large amount of bills on the first of the month, wait until your account is lowered before you report and submit.

For most people, this will not make a significant difference, but it’s worth noting.

Full disclosure, I am not a tax professional or financial planner, so consult with an expert before you make any big decisions. This is for informational purposes only.

Grades 9-12

By order of source, financial aid comes from the government, then the institution, and finally private scholarships.

Scholarships awarded on a national basis can be found at Scholarships.com, BigFutures.CollegeBoard.org, and Fastweb.com. Some are open to applicants long before senior year, so start early.

 
If you plan to work with a professional college consultant to lessen the stress of identifying colleges, finding colleges with strong financial aid, and applying, please start early (no later than junior year).

And if you have a stressed senior who hasn’t even started the essays, I’m offering some workshops. Check out my website for details on all my workshops: SmartCollegeAdmission.com.