If you're a high school senior, all the realities of college are probably getting more real by the day. Specifically, the reality of how much college costs. 
Starting now, you've got just a few short months to pull together the financing for your first year.
That doesn't mean it's time to panic. It's time to get to a Financial Aid Night, if you haven't already attended one.
What's a Financial Aid Night? It's an evening dedicated to providing information and answering your questions about getting financial aid for college. Typically your school will host it with help from a bank or other lending institution.
It's a great time to go with your parents (yes, be sure to bring them) and get a good understanding of the financial aid process. You also learn more about grants and scholarships that are available. The knowledge you'll gain will help you move forward confidently to get money for college.
How does it work? There will probably be a presentation about the financial aid process and the opportunity to pick up brochures and information about loans and scholarships. You might also have a chance to visit with a banker to learn more.
If you haven't seen notices for a Financial Aid Night at your school, check in with your guidance counselor about when one might be scheduled. If you're really in the dark about financial aid, it's important that you attend sooner than later — deadlines rule when it comes to getting money for college.
If you've already attended a Financial Aid Night, let us know how it went. Did you find it useful?
Editor's note: Over the next few months, The Student LoanDown will be running a series of posts focused especially on high school seniors. We'll be attempting to cover lots of topics of special interest to this group as they count down to graduation and get ready to head off to college.
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