CANTON, Mo. (WGEM) -- Deadlines for college financial aid funding are approaching fast and the competition is fiercer than ever. If your student needs funding for college, now is the time to apply.
More students than ever are qualifying for help and cuts in government funding and shrinking school endowments are just a few reasons why financial aid officers say the competition is so tough.
But officials say if you're aggressive and get your applications in on time, you'll have a much better chance.
"I am the first person in my family to attend college so we really didn't have the funds to pay for it," said Culver-Stockton College senior, Stephanie Espino.
Espino is familiar with the financial aid application process.
She is graduating $36,000 in debt, but says it would be a lot more without funding help.
Espino says she has been very aggressive about getting every scholarship she qualifies for.
"I knew I wanted to do everything I could to help save my family money," said Espino.
Financial aid officers say students need to seek out more than just federal and state funding.
Look into what options are available from your school, and in the local community, and meet the application deadlines.
If you miss one, you could potentially lose thousands of dollars that you are eligible for.
"February 15 might be the deadline for the Kiwanis scholarship or the Eagle's Club. You don't want to miss out on those deadlines because they don't accept late applications, they go to the school pick up the applications and that's it," said assistant director of financial aid at Culver-Stockton College, Patti Foust.
Officials say because of the tough competition for funding, students may not be eligible for the same amount of aid as previous years.
Espino says its an overwhelming process and you should apply now to make sure you get all the funding you can.
"I could not go to school here if it wasn't for the government and for the state of Missouri and also Culver-Stockton scholarships as well. There is just no way I could afford it," said Espino.
All colleges and universities, public and private are now required to have a net price calculator on their website, that shows the total cost for one year at school.
You can use that to get a better idea of how much your family should budget for school.
(See 'College application deadlines approaching for high school seniors')
