Student Financial Assistance Programs
Because so many need help paying for college or for a career school most colleges and vocational training institutions also offer financial aid. The school's financial aid department advices the prospective student of various options and gives reference to federal student aid programs and shows them how to apply. The financial aid office staff at the school you are interested in has all the information needed to determine your eligibility. Talk to the financial aid administrator at each school you are interested in to find out about the school’s aid programs and total cost of attendance.
What is Federal Student Aid?
Federal student aid is financial help for students enrolled in an eligible program at a school participating in federal student aid programs. (By “school,” we mean a four-year or two-year public or private college, university, career school, or trade school.) Federal aid covers school expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid can also help pay for a computer and for dependent care.
There are three categories of federal student aid: grants, work-study, and loans (see the chart on the following page for an overview of these programs). Check with your school to find out which programs your school participates in. And beware of Student Financial Aid scams!
Who Gets Federal Student Aid?
The most basic eligibility requirements are that you must
Demonstrate financial need
Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen with a valid Social Security number; and
Show by one of the following means that you're qualified to obtain a postsecondary education
Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate.*
Pass an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test (if you don’t have a diploma or GED, a school can administer a test to determine whether you can benefit from the education offered at that school)
Complete a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law
How Do You Apply For Federal Student Aid?
1. Complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—the online version (FAFSA on the Web) or the paper FAFSA. Using FAFSA on the Web is faster and easier than using paper.
If you don’t have Internet access, you can get a paper FAFSA from
— a high school guidance office
— a college financial aid office
— a local public library, or
— the Federal Student Aid Information Center (call 1-800-433-3243)
After you apply, you'll receive a Student Aid Report. Your SAR contains the information reported on
your FAFSA and usually includes your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) number.
Beware of Student Financial Assistance Fraud!
Most student financial aid comes from the federal government programs which is administered by the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office. Beware of scams and services that will search for financial aid money for you for a fee. This is considered fraud and a law protects students from this type of fraud.
REMEMBER: The College Scholarship Fraud Prevention Act helps protect against fraud in student financial assistance. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) cautions students to look for these telltale lines: “The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back.” “You can't get this information anywhere else.” “I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship.” To file a complaint, or for free information, call 1-877-FTC-HELP (1-877-382-4357). The TTY number is 1-866-653-4261.
You don't have to pay anyone for assistance. Applying for student aid is FREE; that’s why the application you use is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you need help completing the FAFSA, you can get that help free, too.
Apply early!
Download the Complete FAFSA Student Guide Here!
For additional sources of student financial aid get the Student Guide.
The Student Guide is free.
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