Clarke Central High School’s College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas stands beside a mural on the third floor on Aug. 23, 2024. Applications for Free Application for Federal Student Aid opened on Dec. 1, 2024, which left CCHS senior Carla Tipiani-Tumen grateful. “FAFSA is a really great tool that we have,” Tipiani said. “I’m happy that the government is trying to help fund my education.” Photo by Isabella Gresham
CCHS’ College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas is helping students fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid this semester.
During the fall semester, Clarke Central High School College and Career Adviser Alejo Zayas met with seniors to discuss their plans after graduation. However, during the spring semester, his focus has shifted to walking students through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The FAFSA is used to determine federal aid eligibility for students attending either public or private colleges, and this year’s applications opened on Dec. 1, 2024 with varying closing dates based on individual university requirements. According to Zayas, applying for FAFSA can show students what loans, grants and scholarships they are eligible for — including the Helping Outstanding Pupils Educationally (HOPE) Program and Zell Miller scholarships.
“There’s a misconception that (FASFA) is just for student loans, and nobody wants to take out loans if they don’t have to, (so) it’s extremely important for you to know your options,” Zayas said.
With 457 students on his plate, Zayas’s goal was to have 261 students apply for FAFSA, accounting for 57% of the senior class. To reach this goal, Zayas is holding events to help educate the school community on FAFSA and assist students in filling out their applications.
“Financial aid is (my) main (responsibility right now) because that’s the biggest part of how people (are) going to afford college,” Zayas said. “I help with doing FAFSA for parents and students and I also look at financial aid packages, hear about decisions and help with the next steps after that to actually enroll in a school.”
“There’s a misconception that (FASFA) is just for student loans, and nobody wants to take out loans if they don’t have to, (so) it’s extremely important for you to know your options.”
— Alejo Zayas,
CCHS College and Career Adviser
Zayas worked with CCHS senior Carla Tipiani-Tumen, a first-generation college student, on the FAFSA on Dec. 10 at Vernon Payne Hall during FAFSA Night hosted by the Clarke County School District..
“He guided me through all of it. He helped me and my mom, especially since my mom mainly speaks Spanish (so) Mr. Zayas was translating everything. He helped us understand everything that we had to do,” Tipiani-Tumen said. “(FAFSA) helped (me) fund money and provided me with multiple scholarship applications, so I feel like the FAFSA is very useful (and) very helpful.”
