FINANCIAL AID RESOURCES
Free Application for Federal Student Aid This is the link to the government site for accessing the FAFSA. Please remember that completing and submitting the FAFSA is always FREE!
Some great sites for scholarship searches are listed below. You will need to create an account and enter your demographics for most of these sites. Once you have done that you will be provided a long list of potential scholarships - you should spend some time culling through the result list to see which are the best potential matches for you.
College Greenlight - this site matches you for local or national scholarships and it also offers a college match feature as well.
Fastweb - a scholarship matching service with over 1 million scholarships in the database. Good for returning students as well as first time students. Below are a couple of great handouts from Fastweb:
Quick Reference Guide for Choosing Student or Parent Loan
Evaluating Financial Aid Award Letters - Quick Reference Guide
Big Future (College Board) - this is a very comprehensive site. Great information to help students and parents understand aid, types of aid and aid awards. Offers a scholarship match search as well as a search for colleges based on the percentage of financial need met. Offers information on understanding loans.
I Can Afford College - this site is specifically geared toward community college attendance. It also offers information for undocumented students.
Student Aid - great resource! Literally a one stop shop for all things student aid!
Compare Your Aid Awards (from Big Future)
Net Price Calculator Information
Net Price Calculator Center - this site provides an easy tool to allow students and families to enter information about themselves and find out the net price of any given college- that is, the price after subtracting the scholarships and grants a student are likely to receive.
Schools that Require the CSS Profile (by College Board)
CSS Profile Information, Tutorials and Guides
Merit Aid Scholarships Offered by College - looks like a registration for Cappex, but if you scroll down you will find this section
College Scorecard - provides a way to search for a college that provides a good value. This site includes information about a college’s cost, its graduation rates and the average amount its students borrow, all in an easy-to-read format. It is designed to help you compare colleges and choose one that is well-suited to your individual needs
Loan Calculators - provided by Mapping your Future. There are a number of easy to use tools to help you assess the costs of loan repayment.