Saturday April 7, 2012

NORTH ADAMS -- High school seniors face big decision on what to do after being accepted to college.

To help families navigate this process, MEFA is offering a series of over 30 free "After the Acceptance" seminars around the state, including Wednes day, April 11, at 6:30 p.m., at Drury High School.

In the college application process, the tables have turned. Until now, college admissions offices have been deciding which high school seniors to accept.

With acceptance letters and financial aid offers in the mail, it’s time for students to decide whether to accept the offer. According to MEFA, the state’s not-for-profit authority dedicated to helping families afford and pay for higher education, students and parents need to take three important steps when making this critical decision:

* Understand and analyze the financial aid award letters provided by colleges.

* Determine how to pay the balance of the college bill -- what’s left over after grants, scholarships and federal student loans are factored in.

* Choose the right financing options for your family.

Anyone interested in attending a seminar should visit www. mefacounselor.org to RSVP, find seminar start times and download a free e-book de signed to help families through this next important


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step.

MEFA continues to offer a free call-in number, 1-800-449- MEFA (6332), where customer service representatives are standing by to help families during this time. MEFA can also be found on the web at www. mefa.org, Twitter @mefatweets and Facebook at mefaMA.