OVERVIEW

The Department (ED) will provide more than $83 billion this year, about 60 percent of all student aid, to help millions of students and families pay for postsecondary education.

If you're exploring options for paying for college, see Find Aid. You'll learn about the various kinds of financial aid (loans, grants, and work-study), how to apply, common myths, and more.

Financial aid professionals at banks, colleges, guaranty agencies, and other postsecondary or lending institutions will want to see our online library of technical publications, regulations, and policy guidance on the administration of the student financial assistance programs.

If you're looking for grant information not related to student aid, please see Grants and Contracts.

Features

Federal Student Aid

If you're planning for college and looking for financial aid, start here. GO >

Apply for College Aid

Apply here. More than 9 million students get an ED grant or loan each year. GO >

Consider Consolidating

Consider consolidating your loans -- rates have never been lower. GO >

Check Your Aid History

If you have a Pell Grant, Stafford Loan, PLUS Loan, or Consolidation Loan, find out all the details. GO >

For Aid Professionals

Most ED financial aid services for schools are now electronic. Find all our services here, as well as systems manuals, policies, and requirements for the aid office. GO >