Financial Aid and the LGBTQ+ community: Oct. 5
HFC Financial Aid Administrator Elizabeth Preston, who is also the SAFE@HFC chair, will participate in a virtual panel discussion for Trans Empowerment Month on Wednesday, Oct. 5, at 6:00 p.m.
“We will be speaking about financial aid and how it relates to LGBTQ+ students, specifically our Trans population students,” said Preston, who is currently enrolled in the Ferris State University Doctorate in Community College Leadership program and will graduate in December.
Below is the outline for the presentation:
- Segment 1: What is FAFSA?
- Segment 2: FAFSA and Gender
- Segment 3: Scholarships and Loans
What is FAFSA?
Segment 1: FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid): What is It?
Eastern Michigan University Financial Aid Advisor Andy Zerkel will answer the following questions:
- What is FAFSA?
- What is the annual process for completing my FAFSA?
- What processes and deadlines should I be aware of?
- What is an FSA ID, and why do I need one?
- What is the data retrieval tool, and how do I use it?
There will be time at the end of this presentation for Q&A.
FAFSA and Gender
Segment 2: FAFSA and Gender
Wayne State University Financial Aid Officer Ashton Niedzwiecki will address the following topics:
- Legal vs. chosen names
- What should I do if my financial situation suddenly changes? (Dependency overrides, etc.)
- Selective Service as it relates to trans students
- Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) release
There will be time at the end of this presentation for Q&A.
Scholarships and Loans
Segment 3: Scholarships and Loans
Preston will address the following topics:
- LGBTQ+ specific scholarships
- Institutional scholarships
- State-sponsored scholarships
- Different types of financial aid (subsidized, unsubsidized, alternative)
- Interest rates
- The danger of too much debt (what actual monthly repayments would look like depending on total debt borrowed)
- Borrowing wisely
- Student rights and responsibilities (Master Promissory Note, entrance and exit loan counseling, staying connected with loan servicer, etc.)
- Repayment options
- Alternatives to borrowing
There will be time at the end of this presentation for Q&A.
Please register for this event. For questions or more information, contact Preston at empreston@hfcc.edu.