Question: When and where should my daughter start applying for financial aid for college?

– Need Money

Answer: Now is definitely the time to find out how to apply for student aid. Begin by obtaining a free copy of "Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid" from the U.S. Department of Education (studentaid.ed.gov/sa/
resources). This will definitely give your daughter a great overall view of all she needs to know about applying for aid from the federal government, states and colleges. There are also two very helpful websites that will give your family even more information about applying for financial aid. They are finaid.org and edvisors.com.

The next big step is for her to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Not only is it the starting point for getting federal aid, it is part of the process of getting aid from states and many colleges. This form will be available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov on Jan. 1, 2016. You also can get a print form from high school counselors, public libraries or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

The sooner she completes this application, the more aid she is likely to get. According to Mark Kantrowitz of Edvisors.com, those who file from January through March receive, on average, twice the amount of grant money as those who file later. Another step that must be taken is to apply for state and college financial aid programs. Your daughter usually will not have to be admitted to a college to apply for financial aid from the school. For both state and college aid programs she needs to find out now the deadlines for submitting aid applications.

Question: My baby girl is just 3 months old. I know everyone says it is very important to read to children. It just seems ridiculous to read to such a young child. Can’t I wait until she at least sits up by herself?

– Not Ready

Answer: You should not wait to read to your young child. It’s never too early to start. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, parents should be reading to their infants from birth. From birth to age 3, so much brain development occurs. Children who are read to have much larger vocabularies and other important communication skills.

Research has shown how reading to very young children benefits them in these ways:

It increases bonding with a child as you hold and cuddle the child while reading.

It acquaints the child with the sound of a parent’s voice. The child may even respond by moving her arms and legs.

As the child listens to stories, it increases the number of words that she hears, thus increasing her vocabulary.

Your child’s eyes are starting to focus. Reading picture books will help her learn simple shapes now and later recognize letters.

As you continue to read to the child, she will learn that reading is a fun activity.

Surprisingly, there are also benefits to you. Instead of having to enrich your child’s life through endless chatter with her about what you see, it’s an easy way to talk to her.

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