If you have a high school student planning on attending college next fall and haven’t yet applied for financial aid, don’t wait much longer.

Hillcrest Academy Guidance Counselor Leanne Bender says you’ll want to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible, because the longer you wait, the less money will be available to your student. Bender mentions  there other financial aid options for those who do their homework, “There are tons of scholarships out there if kids will just spend, even an hour a week, for the next few weeks left in the school year, to see if they might be able to find things that could give them $1,000 here, $500 there, every bit counts.”

Bender says some colleges and universities may offer flexibility in financial aid application deadlines due to the pandemic, but each institution’s guidelines will vary. She says if your student wants to attend college, but hasn’t decided where yet, have him or her visit a variety of schools to give them options to compare.