Financial aid is always an option to every student who wishes to go to college. You will want to start by filling out a FAFSA. The United States Department of Education ensures that all students can benefit from financial assistance beyond high school. You can apply for free by going to http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/, (make sure you are at the dot gov site and not the dot com).
If you are 24 or under, you will need to supply your parent information. If you are an independent student, you will fill out your own information. Plan to take a small chunk of time to fill out this form. You can save and come back to it if needed. Once you have completed the form, you will get an EFC (expected family contribution) and financial need. The EFC is calculated based on a single year (two regular semesters).
The EFC Information is transferred to your college where their financial aid office will receive a confirmation and verify your eligibility. You will receive a statement detailing your eligible financial aid. You may qualify for grants and/or scholarships if you meet certain requirements that you do not have to pay back. You may also qualify for a work study program which is typically a deal where you work on campus in exchange for financial aid. You also will be notified if you qualify for federal loans. You must acknowledge these loans with a promissory note if you intend to accept them. These loans are typically put in the student’s name. There are some parent loans available as well referred to as Parent Plus loans.
Trying to figure all this out while preparing to go to school can be wearing, so see your financial aid counselor as early as possible to help you answer any questions that may be looming about costs.
