Race is on to fill in financial aid forms.

Byline: Greg Bolt The Register-Guard

When it comes to getting help paying for college, procrastination doesn't pay.

In fact, this year sending grant and scholarship applications early actually can earn a dividend. New or returning college students can get a chance at a new $500 state scholarship by beating the application deadline.

This is crunch time for students hoping to get a hand with rising college expenses. Applications for the major aid programs have been available since Jan. 1 and deadlines come as early as March 1, leaving only a few weeks for students to take a shot at free money.

And that kind of money is more important than ever with college tuition stuck on a sharp upward course. While one form of free money - government grants - is flat at best, another form - scholarships - is growing.

Government grants come primarily from the federal Pell Grant and the Oregon Opportunity Grant. Both are based on financial need and both are doled out based on a single application form, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA.

The form is available at any high school or college or electronically at numerous financial aid Web sites and is the first thing students and parents should fill out. One important tip: Don't wait until you file your 2004 tax returns; use the information from your 2003 returns and update the form when you file this year's returns.

Pell Grants award up to $4,050 a year. Opportunity Grants range from $1,257 for community college students to $1,482 at state four-year universities to up to $4,200 at private universities.

Next on the list should be the Oregon Student Assistance Commission. OSAC's electronic scholarship application, or eApp, is available at the agency's Web site, www.get collegefunds.org, as well as at the same locations as the FAFSA.

OSAC acts as a conduit for 320 privately funded scholarships that award almost $10 million a year to Oregon students. The awards range from a minimum of $500 to more than $20,000.

The eApp is the gateway to all that money. By going through the application, students can get themselves considered for all the scholarships for which they qualify.

The thing about scholarships, though, is they require an effort. Students need to submit two essays and an activity chart with the eApp, and certain scholarships may require additional steps. But the effort is worth it.

"If you spend five hours working on your application and get a $500 scholarship, that's like getting paid $100 an hour," said Vicki Merkel, director of grants and scholarships at OSAC.

And filing early is important. Some programs, including the Opportunity Grant, award money to students in the order their applications are received and stop when the money is gone. So students who wait risk losing out entirely.

Also, OSAC is offering a chance at $500 scholarships to students who file a complete and correct application by Feb. 15. Applicants will be placed in one of several pools - the agency has four now but hopes to raise money for eight to 10 - and a drawing will be held to award one scholarship to someone from each pool.

Although filling out applications and writing essays can be a chore, students shouldn't shy away. Beth Lande, a counselor and faculty member at Lane Community College, said the effort pays off with scholarships that in some cases, such as the Ford Family Foundation scholarships, can cover up to 90 percent of a student's unmet need.

Lande, who teaches a one-term course on scholarship hunting, said students should keep in mind that what scholarship committees are looking for is applicants who can make a clear, strong statement about their qualities and goals.

"To me the key thing that students need to do is to realize that to be successful as a scholarship applicant, they need to prove to scholarship committees that they are good investments," she said. "You're asking people to give you money. So what is it about you and the contribution you're going to make that is worthy of their money."

Lande said students and parents sometimes are put off by the effort needed to track down and apply for scholarships, but she said that effort can be the difference between a high school diploma and a college education. Financial aid counselors also stress that families shouldn't let tuition "sticker shock" convince them that college is too expensive.

Aid is available, but only for those who apply. Parents who think they can't afford to send a child to college often find that the price is within reach once grants and scholarships are taken into account.

"Our key phrase is to make sure any decisions you make don't reduce your options," said Merkel. "Don't close any doors. Don't assume you won't get any money. Don't assume you can't go to that school."

FREE MONEY

Learn how to track down grants and scholarships at a free workshop Saturday at LCC 

Where: LCC main campus, Building 17, Room 308

When: Saturday starting at 8:30 a.m.

Register: Seating is limited; call 463-5252 to sign up

ON THE WEB

The Internet is loaded with Web sites offering tips on where and how to find money for college. Here are some of them:

www.getcollegefunds.org: The Oregon Student Assistance Commission offers financial aid applications along with tips and links to other sites. Applications can be completed online.

www.finaid.org: This public service site offers information on all forms of student aid along with financial aid calculators, FAQs, worksheets and other helpful items.

www.studentaid.ed.gov: The U.S. Department of Education's portal to student financial aid programs offers a wide range of information on federal grant and loan programs, work study and other forms of financial aid.

www.collegeparents.org: The College Parents of America site offers numerous links to financial aid sites as well as other consumer information aimed at parents. Click on "financial aid and scholarships."

www.fastweb.com: FastWeb is among the most popular commercial sites and is aimed primarily at locating scholarships and helping students select a college and apply for admission. It is supported by advertising and requires users to submit personal information to build a profile.