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Many
financial aid resources are
available to students in the U.S.
- the largest being the federal
government. About 70% of the
student financial aid awarded
each year comes from the
Department of Education's
programs (approximately $61
billion in 2000-2001).
Most federal financial aid comes
in the form of grants, loans, and
work-study. Aid is awarded on the
basis of financial need rather
than scholastic achievement.
However, you do not have to show
financial need to receive certain
federal student loans.
Useful booklets on student
financial aid are available at
these links: The
Student
Guide
and Funding
Your
Education,
or by calling the Federal Student
Aid Information Center (FSAIC)
toll free at: Federal Student Aid
Information Center (FSAIC):
800-4-FED-AID (800-433-3243);
(TTY 800-730-8913).
Below are tips and more
information on obtaining student
financial aid, along with links
to related sites.
Financial
Aid Tips &
Resources
Applications for Student
Financial
Aid
You may apply for federal student
aid at no cost by filing a paper
Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA), or applying
electronically with
FAFSA
on the
Web
- the online application page
for federal student financial
aid.
If you need help filling out the
FAFSA, try:
-- FAFSA on the Web's
online help
-- the financial aid
administrator at your college
-- Completing
the
FAFSA,
from the Dept. of Education
Visit the Department
of Education's student aid
web
site to view Department
publications online or to learn
more about the Department's
programs.
Student
Financial Aid from Other
Government
Agencies
Student aid is available from
other federal agencies also, such
as the U.S. Department of Health
& Human Services, and the
U.S. Department of Veterans
Affairs. For links to such
information, visit
www.students.gov.
Checklist
for Free Sources of Student
Financial Aid
Information
The
following checklist from the U.S.
Government includes the ideas
noted above plus other options
for obtaining information on
student financial aid:
The financial aid office at your
college or career
school
A high school
counselor
The U.S. Department of
Education
Other federal agencies (including
the military, if
appropriate)
Your state education
agency
The reference section of your
school or public
library
The
Internet
Foundations, religious
organizations, community
organizations, and civic
groups
Organizations related to your
field of
interest
Ethnicity-based
organizations
Your employer or your parents'
employers
Free scholarship search
services
Check
with all of the sources above
before considering paying
for a scholarship search or other
financial aid
service.
Caution
- Each year, the U.S. Department
of Education receives numerous
complaints from students and
parents who did not receive the
information they expected from a
financial aid search service. The
U.S. Department of Education does
not evaluate private scholarship
search services.
If you decide to use one of
these services, you should check
its reputation by contacting the
Better Business Bureau
(www.bbb.com),
a school guidance counselor, or a
state attorney general's office.
Additionally, investigate the
organization yourself before
making a
commitment:
Ask
for names of three or four local
families who have used its
services recently; Ask how
many students have used the
service and how many of them
received scholarships as a
result; Find out about the
service's refund policy;
Get everything in writing;
Read all the fine print before
signing anything.
The Scholarship Fraud Prevention
Act created a fraud-awareness
partnership between the U.S.
Department of Education and the
Federal Trade Commission (FTC).
For more information about
scholarship scams or to report a
scam, call the FTC toll free at
877-FTC-HELP (877-382-4357) or go
to www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship.
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