This week is college application week at Bethel High school, the perfect time for students of the age to start looking at colleges, but how does one begin to apply for college? Students should start by first filling out their FAFSA. For those who don’t know what a FAFSA is, it is a free application for federal student aid. Students can obtain grants and loans through the government using this application. When filling out the FAFA students must have knowledge of their parent’s financial situation. This determines how much aid a student can receive. Aid amounts can range from nothing to thousands of dollars per year. 

Most students, unfortunately, don’t know what FAFSA is. Faith Springer, a 10th-grade student at Bethel High School was one of the many. When interviewed Springer shared her lack of knowledge on the application process for not only FAFSA but college in general. “No, I don’t feel like it’s talked about enough, I didn’t even know what it was.” She says. She also stated that she feels that teachers with knowledge of this process have “failed her” by not sharing more. When English teacher, Mrs. Spry, was asked about her knowledge of the topic, she stated she was aware of the process from her own experiences. She also included that she never thought to educate students about the process, “I had assumed every student knew.” She added. 

There are many students who feel as though they have been neglected from the information of learning how to apply for FAFSA and college. If you consider yourself a student who lacks the proper information and are interested in obtaining more information on FAFSA, on Thursday, November 18, 2021, from 6:00-7:00 P.M, Bethel High school is holding a college application night in the Bethel High School cafeteria.