All students planning to attend a 2 or 4 year school beyond high school should apply for the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).  This form is used by schools to determine the amount of loan, grant and scholarship money that may be awarded to a student.  Filing the FAFSA form is free.  Once a school receives your FAFSA they will create a financial aid package for you.  This award document is necessary to compare the cost of what attending a school will be.

FSA ID  https://fsaid.ed.gov

Get your FSA ID before you file FAFSA (one parent needs one too) .

fsaid.gov 

To complete your FAFSA now:

Complete your FAFSA NOW! The date to begin filing the FAFSA is December 1, 2023

Website: FAFSA WEBSITE 

Mobile App: myStudentAid app

When talking financial aid, what's the difference between loans, grants, scholarships, and work-study?  Here's a brief description of each to help you out:

Loans............ money you have to pay back (the interest rate will vary depending on your lender)

Subsidized Loans: Interest is paid by the Education Department while you're enrolled at least half time in college. 

Unsubsidized: Interest begins accruing as soon as the loan is disbursed, including while students are enrolled in school. 

                        www.studentloans.gov  

Grants............free money that does NOT need to be repaid

Scholarships...free money based on merit or skill

Work-Study....work part-time to help pay for your tuition