HESC Unveils Financial Aid and Literacy Podcasts

It’s FAFSA time for your college-bound students.
It can be a daunting, time consuming task to students but, the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the key that unlocks the door to college financial aid. Even families who think they are ineligible for any financial aid at all should complete the FAFSA. Most colleges require it to be considered for any type of college or merit grants or scholarships.

Your students and families may be turning to you – and one-on-one assistance with all your students is difficult. So, the New York State Higher Education Services Corporation (HESC) has a new video podcast series to help. The FAFSA podcast is a step-by-step guide for students and families completing the 2009-2010 online application.

The financial aid video series is hosted by Heather McDonnell, past president of the New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA) and current director of financial aid at Sarah Lawrence College in Bronxville, NY.

Focusing on Financial Literacy
Responding to the need for more financial literacy education, HESC has developed a new audio podcast series to help students understand the basics of managing money, student loans and credit cards.

The first in the audio series, Smart Borrowing, describes the various types of student loans and offers planning information.

Each audio podcast is targeted to young adults, delivered in a snappy, upbeat style and runs less than six minutes.

Make all of the free podcasts available to your students and families by linking to HESC’s Web site at www.hesc.org. The podcasts are available 24/7 and can be downloaded to any personal computer, mp3 player or iPod.