Scholars: Don't be tardy with forms.

Byline: GREG BOLT The Register-Guard

With enrollments up and tuition on the rise, the competition for college financial aid is fierce this year, prompting many admissions officers to offer a sage piece of advice to high school seniors planning to attend classes in the fall: Waste no time applying for financial aid.

Students are advised to file the Free Application for Federal Financial Aid, or FAFSA, before the end of the month at the latest. The FAFSA determines eligibility for government grants and calculates the portion of college expenses students and their families are expected to pay.

"Schools are asking for the FAFSA to be done even earlier this year," said Diana Ashley, a career counselor at North Eugene High School. That means completing the form even if parents haven't figured their income taxes yet, she said.

Although many high school seniors have been getting ready for the financial aid season since fall, the main push began this week when the FAFSA became available online. Ashley said the federal Department of Education strongly recommends using the online form - available at www.fafsa.ed.gov - to speed processing and reduce errors.

Students planning to attend college face a number of challenges this year. Tuition is up almost 10 percent nationwide at four-year public universities, according to a study by The College Board, and it has increased almost 8 percent at two-year public colleges.

Also, many colleges have had to cut the number of class sections they offer to cope with steep budget cuts at the state level. Lane Community College cut dozens of classes this year and could slice close to 200 more for spring term if an income tax surcharge measure fails later this month.

The good news is that scholarship donations are coming in and increases in grant aid outpaced loan aid for the second year in a row, The College Board said.

The nonprofit organization also reported that a record $90 billion in total financial aid was available nationwide in 2001-02, and scholarship money in Oregon appears to be rising as well.

"More and more donors are interested in making scholarships available," said Alan Baas, scholarship coordinator for the Oregon Student Assistance Commission. "So that's a positive note. There's a lot of financial aid available for those who go searching and apply early."

OSAC, a state agency, manages 280 scholarship programs and expects to dole out more than $10 million to nearly 3,200 Oregon students this year. It handles need-based and merit-based programs, so students and parents should check with the agency regardless of their level of need, Baas said.

The agency also manages the Oregon Opportunity Grant, the state's primary need-based financial aid program. More than 18,000 students received opportunity grants in 2000-01.

Several events are planned this month to help students through the maze of college financing, and high school counselors are armed with applications and information sheets to help seniors bridge the cost gap.

More than half of all Oregon college students receive some need-based aid and many others receive other types of aid, including loans that must be repaid. The range of programs can sometimes be bewildering, but parents and students can get help navigating the system.

One option is to attend any of the college fairs and financial aid sessions put on by high schools and colleges. Lane Community College will hold a workshop on finding free money for college on Jan. 18 at the Eugene campus.

Students should also check out the OSAC Web page at www.osac.state.or.us for help on finding scholarships and financial aid and links to other online resources.

Baas said it's important to file the FAFSA soon because it takes three to six weeks to process the application, and many other financial aid programs that have deadlines require a completed FAFSA to apply. Also, some forms of aid are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, making early applications a must.

Kristin Crouse, a spokeswoman for the nonprofit college testing service ACT, said parents shouldn't let the "sticker shock" of tuition prices deter them from pursing a college education for their children. In addition to federal aid, many colleges also offer aid packages, so it's important to contact the schools to see if additional help is available.

"Really, students should try and apply to different colleges and see what you get," she said. "You may get a better deal than you expect."

LCC FINANCIAL AID SEMINAR

The Jan. 18 session will be held at the Eugene campus and will cover computer databases for scholarship research, the federal financial aid process, OSAC scholarships and scholarship search plans. Register by calling LCC's continuing education office at 463-5252 or the automated registration system at 747-0644 (for LCC students) and use registration number 5696.

CAPTION(S):

CHRIS PIETSCH / The Register-Guard Katie Walro (left) researches colleges while Jamie Thomsen (right) fills out an application at the Counseling and Career Resources office at North Eugene High.