Brian Newell and Trenton Harris get a little FAFSA help from Blueprint coordinator Keslie Boyles.

Priority deadline to apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid was March 1. Alabama Possible helped make sure Phil Campbell High School seniors were ready for it.

“You can still apply after priority deadline, but you get more money if you apply before,” explained Keslie Boyles, a Blueprints College Access coordinator for Alabama Possible at PCHS.

Representatives of Northwest-Shoals Community College were on hand for the Cash for College financial aid workshop to help walk students through the FAFSA application, which can sometimes be tricky to navigate. Computer labs were humming as students attempted to input tax information, choose schools to submit the FAFSA to and understand the significance of the application process.

“I think a lot of students don’t really grasp the importance of the FAFSA,” Boyles said. “They just don’t understand.” That’s one reason Blueprints holds the workshop as part of its emphasis on college readiness.