If you're applying for financial aid, apply for scholarships versus just going straight through FAFSA. Because I didn't do that. But next year I'll be, hopefully, getting scholarships.

Most of all, start early.

Yes.

Start early. Because if you try to wait til the last minute, you just left with, OK, this is all I have to do. But if you start at an early age doing scholarships and trying different things-- because college adds up. It is not cheap. And regardless of how much money you think you're not spending now. Four years, when you get out of college, six months after you graduate, they send you a bill.

So most people don't know that so they just spend their refund check like this is my money, this is not your money.

And I think, too, when applying for any type of financial assistance, you may receive lots of offers. Just because you receive lots of offers, doesn't mean you have to accept all the offers. Consider the courses you're taking, the ones you may take next semester. And try to cover those, with a little extra. Because like she was saying, you have to pay all that back.

All of it.

So don't think of it as pocket money. It's school money.

My refund check basically-- say you only need $1,000 to cover your tuition. But the loan offers you $2,000 and you take the full amount. They're going to give you 1,000 back. So that's basically what it is. You got overage in your loans.

I've always been an amazing money management kind of person. I can manage my money easily. Like I told you earlier, I'm like a grandma with my checkbook. Everything I spend. There's a checkbook. Checkbook, where are you? Write it down. Done.

But with this, OK. I had no control over this. So my refund check was supposed to be $2,500. Supposedly. And they sent me too much. They sent me what they were supposed to charge me. So I spent a couple hundred. Paid a couple bills. Gave my mom some money to help her pay bills.

Then I got a notice in the mail about three weeks later $2,700. I'm like, oh, my God. No I don't. What are you talking about?

So I go to the bursar's office. And they tell me, oh, you were supposed to get $400. That was supposed to be your refund check. Really? Nice. So do I get that 400? No. You have to pay it back.

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