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How to apply for the FAFSA for 2024-25
The FAFSA opens on Oct. 1. Here’s how to prepare.
Living a joyful, fulfilling life is easier achieved when you make smart financial decisions that support who you want to be.
— Aylea Wilkins
Aylea Wilkins has worked at Bankrate since 2019. She currently edits articles on a variety of topics. Previously, she has edited Bankrate articles on insurance, personal loans, home equity loans and student loans.
Aylea has extensive editorial experience covering personal finance, business and marketing. Her career includes time as a copywriter for small businesses to improve their search engine optimization, freelance writing, website editing for small businesses and even an internship at Walt Disney World. Throughout her career, she has focused on helping readers find greater joy in their lives, often through making smart decisions on the road to financial freedom.
Outside of work, Aylea is extremely passionate about children's literature and literacy. She volunteers with reading organizations, keeps tabs on the latest in children's literature and reviews books on Goodreads and NetGalley. She can often be found planning another Disney vacation or working on the young adult novel she hopes to publish.
Aylea wants you to know
Student loans were a big part of how I could have college experiences that I wouldn't have otherwise, particularly a life-changing experience studying abroad in London for four months in my junior year. I used a mix of Pell grants, student loans, scholarships and jobs to pay for school, saving tens of thousands of dollars and helping me pay off my student loans within a year of graduation. I encourage students to look at all their resources and creative ways to achieve their goals in school and set themselves up for financial success.
Aylea's recommended readings
Best student loan rates
9 tips for paying off student loans fast
What graduating high school seniors need to know about finances
Living a joyful, fulfilling life is easier achieved when you make smart financial decisions that support who you want to be.
— Aylea Wilkins
The FAFSA opens on Oct. 1. Here’s how to prepare.
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