Internet makes applying for college easy

By: TOM PFINGSTEN - Staff Writer | Sunday, October 22, 2006 7:24 PM PDT ∞

As the World Wide Web grows in depth and accessibility, options for students seeking financial assistance or admission to a particular university continue to add up.

These days, would-be students can get most of their questions answered online, and are usually able to apply for admission or financial aid by filling out an online form and hitting "Send."

"Even though we get some paper applications from some colleges, a lot of them prefer the online applications, because they're a lot easier to read ---- everything's in the same digital format, and it doesn't let you forget anything," said Libby Wood, who works in the Fallbrook High School counseling office. "If you forget to fill something out, it usually doesn't let you go to the next screen."

Some schools still require paper applications to be sent via "snail mail," but most provide online applications for interested students.

The massive California State University system, for example, allows students to apply online after registering for a user name and password at www.csumentor.edu. High school seniors eyeing a first year of college at Cal State San Marcos would do well to start there.

Likewise, the University of California Web site states that online application is preferred over paper applications.

Wood said that online applications have become so prevalent that schools have ceased sending paper applications to high schools so they can have them on hand for students. Instead, she said, "We give them the Web sites to go to."

On the financial side, the Web has also gained momentum with its instant applications.

Perhaps the most important form of financial aid, the "Free Application for Federal Student Aid," or FAFSA, can now be completed on the Internet by visiting www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Another popular source of online financial aid are independent Web sites such as FastWeb.com or Scholarships.com, which consolidate scholarship options and other information for students.

Contact staff writer Tom Pfingsten at (760) 731-5799 or tpfingsten@nctimes.com. Comment at nctimes.com.

Online financial aid and admissions:

www.fafsa.ed.gov

www.csumentor.edu

www.universityofcalifornia.edu/admissions/welcome.html

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