Financial Aid, FAFSA and Scholarship Guidance

Southwestern Community College Director of Financial Aid Kylee Klommhaus says students and families should not assume they are ineligible for help paying for college.

Klommhaus joined KCSI to talk through the financial aid process, including FAFSA, state aid, scholarships and the importance of asking questions early.

“The first thing to do is file the FAFSA,” Klommhaus said. FAFSA stands for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, and Klommhaus said she recommends that students complete it even if they think they may not qualify.

She said families sometimes decide not to file because an older sibling did not receive aid or because they assume their income is too high. However, Klommhaus said filing the FAFSA can still matter because students may qualify for state aid, institutional aid, or scholarships that require a completed FAFSA.

Klommhaus said the FAFSA opens each year on October 1. For students who will be seniors next school year, the FAFSA for their upcoming college year will open October 1, 2026.

For students planning to attend college this fall, Klommhaus said July 1 is an important deadline for State of Iowa financial aid consideration. She said students should complete the FAFSA by July 1 for the upcoming school year.

SWCC also offers scholarship opportunities through its Educational Foundation. The foundation scholarship application is due each year by March 15 and places students in consideration for hundreds of scholarships through one application.

Klommhaus said students and families may complete the FAFSA on their own, but help is available. She said high school counselors often assist students, and SWCC also offers support. In the fall, SWCC’s TRIO program typically offers a FAFSA night around the time the application opens.

Families should also have tax information available when completing the FAFSA. Klommhaus said the process is more streamlined than it used to be, with IRS information often transferring electronically, but she still recommends having tax records nearby in case they are needed.

Klommhaus said financial aid can include federal money, state money, institutional funds and other outside scholarship opportunities. She especially encourages high school seniors to apply for scholarships, even if they are unfamiliar with them.

She said the worst approach is to assume college is unaffordable or that aid will not be available.

The SWCC financial aid team is available to answer questions by phone, email or through the college website. Klommhaus said students can visit swcciowa.edu and search for financial aid to find contact information for her and her team.

Klommhaus has worked at SWCC for nearly 10 years. She started as a financial aid specialist in 2016 and became Director of Financial Aid in 2018. She was also recently honored with the Gary Adams Meritorious Service Award through the Iowa Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators.