Blueprint

12th grade: stack the money

Apply, compare and stack. The goal is to cover the cost with money that does not have to be paid back, from as many sources as the rules allow.

This year's checklist

• File the FAFSA as soon as it opens. Some state and college aid is first come, first served.
• Meet every college's priority deadline for admission and for its own scholarships. Many merit awards need an early application.
• Work a weekly scholarship routine: two or three applications a week, local awards first.
• Reuse essays from the essay bank and adjust the first and last paragraph to the prompt.
• Send thank-you notes, and report outside scholarships to the college's financial aid office.
• Compare award letters side by side: grants and scholarships, then work-study, then loans. Compare what is left to pay.

The money move

Ask each college how outside scholarships affect its own aid before you accept. Some reduce loans first, some reduce their own grants. That one answer can change which offer is best.

For the parent

Keep applying through spring. Local awards often close in March and April, after many families have stopped. Watch for renewal rules: the GPA and credit hours needed to keep each award.