Parents and their college-bound children tend to dread one five-letter word as college acceptance season rolls around: FAFSA. The FAFSA, or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, which is released on Jan. 1 of each year, is a form families must fill out in order to qualify for federal college loans and grants, as well as a majority of scholarships and aid that are available. A lot of questions come up when filing this document, including the right time to fill out the FAFSA, whether you should complete it prior to filing your federal income taxes for the previous year and how to report savings. We’ve got you covered! BlackEnterprise.com spoke to Marcia E. Weston, Director of College Goal Sunday at YMCA of the USA—a free, statewide volunteer program that assists students and families applying for financial aid—on helpful tips to completing the juggernaut of college paperwork—and getting more money.
With a focus on news and the under 35 crowd, Martinez develops engaging, daily reports for BlackEnterprise.com. She also pens the blog, After School Daze: Life After Undergrad, where she delves into the day-to-day issues and concerns of recent graduates trying to adapt to life off campus. Prior to Black Enterprise, the Bronx, N.Y. native contributed to Latina, Latina.com, Honeymag.com, Syracuse Record and The Post-Standard. When she's not writing articles, the self-proclaimed travelista is on the prowl for her next excursion.
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Martinez holds a bachelor's degree in magazine journalism and sociology from Syracuse University.
