Time to get some money

Cindy Macias

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, better known as FAFSA, is an application that provides high school students with financial resources when entering college and furthering their education. The FAFSAs are required by numerous colleges and universities and is used to determine a student’s eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief
January 22, 2014

On Jan. 1st, the United States Federal Government released FAFSA, the Free Application for Student Aid for any undergraduates and graduates who desire financial assistance for his or her college years.

The FAFSA does not give students money. Rather, when filling out FAFSA, the federal government first determines the eligibility of the applicant for financial aid. There are several requirements that a student must pass so that the FAFSA considers the student’s financial status. Some of these requirements include:

Having a high school diploma or GED.
Is a U.S. Citizen.
Having a Social Security number.
For Males specifically: Registering with the Selective Service System after turning 18.

Once a student passes these and other requirements, then he or she may be eligible for different types of federal student aid. With over $150 billion available in federal aid, FAFSA offers Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, Federal Perkins Loans, and Federal Work-Study Program, the latter being the one where students can work part time, while the federal government covers half of the student’s paycheck while the school pays the other half.

College Career Center counselor Ms. Campos advises students to still fill out the FAFSA, regardless of their financial status at home.

“You can’t say ‘My parents make too much money’ until you fill it out,” Campos said. “The less people that apply, the more money that is distributed.”

Although FAFSA is not the only application that is for receiving federal aid, it is by far one of the most applied-to sources. Because of this, over 22 million students apply each year, which means that the sooner a student finishes his or her application, the more financial aid he or she may receive.

Senior Guillermo Villalobos took his time filling out the FAFSA, with the vision of his future in the back of his mind.

“For me, I took it seriously,” Villalobos said. “The process was challenging; it was tiring, but overall it was good.”

Senior Aliee Ramirez felt like filling out the FAFSA was a little baffling, mostly because of the detailed questions asked concerning the parental financial status.

“I’m doing it all alone,” Ramirez said. “All of the information asked is confusing. It took me an hour to start.”

Because the FAFSA is an application for each school year, an applicant must reapply for federal aid if he or she wants to be considered. For students residing in California, the window for filling out FAFSA is open until March.

About the Contributors

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Rodas Hailu, Co-Editor-in-Chief of The Downey Legend, leads the 2013-2014 staff into a busy and exciting year, introducing them to the journalistic world and all its wonders. The writer and photographer first entered the online newspaper as a junior, landing the position of Student Life Editor and turned heads when her stories revealed a seemingly natural instinct for investigative journalism. One year in newspaper left Hailu craving more: a position of leadership where she could let her ideas flourish and create a more successful website. As this year’s editor, she hopes to lead her team into greatness and provide a comfortable workspace. According to the senior, there is no room for mediocrity in the online newspaper. “I don’t want the writers and photographers to be apathetic at all,” Hailu said. “If they are in The Downey Legend, they are in The Downey Legend.” Full force and with great efforts, the talented student hopes to heighten the newspaper’s popularity and implement new ideas, hopefully capturing a new, wider audience.

The senior, who is often described as an old soul, admires classical music and is moved by each powerful note in pieces composed by Prokofiev, Shostakovich, and Khatchaturian. A violinist of 7 years, her appreciation for works of art extends to cinema, and claims to be an avid movie watcher. “I really love to watch movies with a good script, amazing characters, and wonderful cinematography,” Hailu said. With a sixth sense for different forms of human creativity, she hopes to become a student in a liberal arts college and experience the intimacy of a less populated university. The future awaits Hailu, a force to be reckoned with in the arts field, and she predicts she will be living on her own because of her “innate independence.” Living day by day and constantly telling herself, “whatever happens, happens,” she tunnels her focus on The Downey Legend and its future success. A true leader with a mind coiled with layers of depth, Hailu reveals bits and pieces of her vision through her various works or art, photographs and stories.

Cindy Macias, Photographer/Co-Photo Editor

For senior Cindy Macias, The Downey Legend is not just a newspaper; it is a place to show her photographs to the world. This photographer likes to take candid shots because she is able to capture the beauty of the moment and frame it in time. Macias is not only in newspaper, she is also juggling Yearbook along with her regular classes. She hopes to become proactive, less of a procrastinator, get straight As, be more organized, and improve her academic vocabulary throughout the year. She plans to study liberal arts at either UC Irvine or UCLA, but does not plan on dorming on campus because of the filth.

Over the summer, Macias gained work experience while interning for Prestige Portraits, a company that specifically takes professional high school senior portraits. Her work involved secretary-like duties, such as calling for reminders and filing papers. When she is not taking photos, she is at the mall shopping for the latest styles at Pac Sun, one of her favorite stores. Macias walks around her neighborhood to ponder over her life. Her friends admire her sense of forwardness, personality, listening skills, and great advice. Macias makes her friends a priority. “The more you don’t see the person, the connection really isn’t there”, she stated. She started photography in the seventh grade, at Davis Middle School, and she has been taking pictures ever since, because photography challenges her to become better. Her personality, work ethic, and perseverance are all aspects that allow Macias to be an extraordinary photographer.