With the end of the school year right around the corner and approximately 345 seniors will walk across the St. Charles Family Arena stage and grab that diploma and begin the rest of their lives in the real world, starting with college. But it takes planning to start the rest of your life.

Ms. K.’s main goal is to help upperclassmen with their plans after high school, including determining a school that fits the students’ needs. “Deciding which college you should go to should begin junior year,” Ms. K. started out. “Also college visiting helps so you can see the campus size, living, etc.” Even with these early steps, 25% of college freshman dropout because they are not academically prepared, too social, don’t take homework, change majors and have no financial preparedness.

Because of the recent economic downfall, money is important to everyone and with the average debt of a college student reaching the highest it’s ever been at $24,000, so it’s important to consider the financial aspect of college planning.

A bit part of the economics of college planning is financial aid. Pattonville has twice as many evening meeting educating the importance and meaning of the financial part of college. You can also learn about financial aid through school hours in Personal Finance and Pirate Connections, which other schools don’t offer. “It’s never too early to attend [the meetings],” Ms. K. advises. “Why not take advantage of [the largest college center]?”

But to get this financial aid, it is crucial to apply for FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). FAFSA is a federal program that needs to be completed by January, senior year. There are three types that are applicable; grant, which is free money at a federal state college, loans, which is what you have to pay back, and work study, which is when you work on campus for an education. The website for this is fafsa.ed.gov.

The next Financial Academy meeting, which teaches the ins and outs of finances, is April 11 at 7 pm on How to Read Your Financial Aid Package. There will be examples, what different loans and grants are and how to plan for the expectant college debt.

And as Ms. K says, “Remember it’s not too early for anybody!”