The third Spring 2023 Student Success Event in the Edwards College of Humanities and Fine Arts was held on Feb. 7 and focused on financial aid and in-house scholarships provided by the school.

The original speaker and Assistant Vice President for Financial Aid and Scholarships Samantha Hicks couldn’t attend the event, and a financial aid counselor was sent in her place to cover the discussion. Matthew Caison, who led the event, said there are resources available to students to help them get free money.

“Scholarships are free, you shouldn’t ever pay for any,” Caison said. “Utilize [Coastal Carolina University’s] resources and the financial aid office to help you.”

The lecture emphasized resources available to students through federal financial aid and scholarships such as Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Coastal Education Foundation (CEF), and beneficial information for underclassmen.

Completing the FAFSA is an important part of securing financial aid for the school year. The deadline for the 2023-2024 year is March 1.

There have been some changes this year for the FAFSA though such as the website changing from FAFSA.gov to Studentaid.gov. Through the financial aid website is where students can find CEF scholarships for different areas of study, which are funded by donations mostly from alumni.

Students who attended the event valued how public and easily accessible the information is made to them such as sophomore management major Alicia Quirion.

“I appreciate how public the information is how what the speaker said is mirrored on the website,” Quirion said.

The financial aid website also has budgeting tools for students to help with financial decisions such as a personal expenses spreadsheet and other financial tips. Senior graphic design major Tiquasha Hagood said she personally found it helpful.

“I like that the school helps provide a budget system for us when we get ready to graduate,” Hagood said.