This Information Web page, prepared by the Congressional Research Service for Members of Congress, guides students through the process of locating and applying for financial aid. [March 2006]
Getting Started
Use the free information already available from:
High school counselors
College and career school financial aid offices (where you plan to attend)
Local and college libraries
Other Internet sites (search terms student financial aid OR assistance)
Be organized: Use calendars to keep on track.
FYI for the parents:
FinAid: for Parents
College Savings Plan Network (state "Section 529" plans)
Tax incentives for higher education expenses
Other useful sites to get started:
Cash for College
FinAid: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
Financial Aid: You Can Afford It
Looking for Student Aid
Mapping Your Future
Paying for College
Department of Education Beware of scholarship scams -- don't pay for free information!
Student aid and where it comes from
Basic assistance categories:
- Financial need-based
Remember that students and their parents are responsible for paying for what they can-- financial aid is a supplement, not a substitute, for family resources.
- Non need-based
Factors include academic excellence, ethnic background, or organization membership. Corporations may also offer assistance to employees and children.
Federal Student Aid:
- Provides nearly 70% of student aid under Loans, Grants and Work/study programs.
- Available to all need-based applicants; some loans and competitive scholarships for non need-based.
- Free information from the U.S. Department of Education:
- Funding Your Education
- Student Guide
- Loans are the most common federal aid and must be repaid when you graduate or leave college.
- Stafford loans include:
- Perkins Loans for the most needy undergraduates; through participating schools.
- Scholarships/grants are mostly need-based and require no repayment:
- Pell Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
- Other grants, scholarships, and fellowships, mostly graduate level: search the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) by Beneficiary, such as "Student or Trainee" or "Graduate Student".
- "Congressional" scholarships:
- Named for Member of Congress or other prominent individual (such as Byrd Honors Scholarships, Fulbright fellowships)
- Merit-based and highly competitive
- Members of Congress do not play a role in selecting recipients
- Search by Beneficiary in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
- Work study programs allow you to earn money while in school:
- Federal Work Study Program: college campus jobs
- Student Educational Employment: jobs with the federal government
- For questions not covered by the Department of Education website, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 433-3243.
State Student Aid:
- States offer residents a variety of scholarships, loans, and tuition exemptions.
- Check with your state higher education agency and guarantee agency.
- Consider prepaid tuition and college savings ("Section 529") plans: College Savings Plans Network.
- Search your Internet browser under terms such as student financial aid or assistance AND your state.
Colleges and universities provide some 20% of aid, most need-based. Check university websites and the institution's financial aid office when you apply for admission.
Private foundations, corporations, and organizations offer scholarships or grants:
Repaying your loans
After college, the federal government has ways to help you repay your loans.
States and some private employers provide help in repaying loans in exchange for certain types of public service.
Download a FAFSA form
|