CBC financial aid priority deadline is May 1

Students planning to enroll at Coastal Bend College (CBC) during the 2014-2015 academic year should submit their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by CBC’s priority deadline of May 1, 2014. Submitting the FAFSA early can potentially increase the number of grant dollars awarded to a student since many state and federal grants are awarded based on the student’s application submission date.

“The CBC Financial Aid Office will definitely continue processing and awarding financial aid after the May 1 deadline, but applying early really helps reduce students’ stress by allowing them to know how much aid they’ve received for college. Plus, the financial aid processing times in May are a lot shorter than they are in July and August, so it truly is best to submit the FAFSA soon,” said Nora Morales, Director of Financial Aid at CBC.

Applicants who need assistance submitting the FAFSA can visit any CBC location for help, or the applicant may call the CBC Financial Aid Office at (361) 354-2238. The FAFSA application can be done online at www.fafsa.gov. To ensure the application reaches CBC in a timely manner, applicants should use CBC’s federal school code of 003546. Once the application is submitted, the applicant will receive paperwork in the mail on behalf of both the Department of Education and the college.

“Once the student receives their financial aid packet from CBC, they simply need to fill it out and provide the information requested to our office. They can mail the packet back in or simply drop it off at any CBC site. I encourage everyone to apply even if they think they’re not eligible. With so many grants available, you just never know. We want to help everyone finance their college education, and applying for financial aid is the first step,” Morales added.