POST-GRADUATION PLANNING
COLLEGE + UNIVERSITY
PAYING FOR COLLEGE
FINANCIAL AID/FAFSA
College can be paid for in numerous ways. It can just be paid for out-of-pocket, but students should not allow financial hardship to keep them from applying for or going to college. Explore the information below to find other ways to pay for college.
Financial aid is money for education expenses. There are many types of financial aid.
Loans have to be repaid with interest.
Grants are funds that generally do not have to be repaid as long as certain criteria are met or maintained . They can come from the government, your school, or other organizations.
Work-study is money earned by the student at a job (often on campus) that helps the student pay his or her education expenses. This money does not have to be repaid and is not taken into account in assessing a student’s eligibility for financial aid the following year.
For each type, you should start on the page below called "Financial Aid/FAFSA."
Scholarships are a little different . They are usually based on academic merit but can be based on a interests, hobbies, religion, ethnicity, and/or financial need. They're on a separate page below.
FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The FAFSA is an application form, NOT a loan.
It determines who qualifies for state and federal grants for college and is the first step for requesting student loans, grants, and work-study.
It is free.
Everyone planning to apply to 2 or 4 year colleges should fill it out in their 12th grade year of high school.
It opens October 1st each year.
Information You Need Before Filling out the FAFSA
Tax Return Information with W-2s: for both parents and students with jobs
Social Security Numbers if applicable
A list of schools you plan to apply to
Step-by-Step Instructions for Filling out the FAFSA
Create your FSA ID at fsaid.ed.gov/. The student and one parent/guardian will each need to create an FSA ID. Do NOT use your school email address since that will no longer be active after graduation.
Write down or otherwise document your FSA ID, as it will be used each year.
Fill out your FAFSA at studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa
Resources and Help for Filling out the FAFSA
FAFSA Tips for Immigrant Families
Each October, Student Services hosts a FAFSA day on campus. All 12th grade students are brought to the library to get help filling out the FAFSA. Please pay attention to announcements for information about our annual FAFSA day.
