Financial Aid- FAFSA
Rumor has it......you don't need to file the FAFSA because your family makes too much money, your grades aren't good enough, you are not attending a 4 year institution, etc.
In reality....tons of students qualify for financial aid-probably a lot more than you think! Plus some scholarship require the FAFSA is filed before awarding.
Financial Aid:
Financial aid is the difference between what a college costs to attend including tuition, room/board, books, fees, etc. and what a student and family can afford to pay for that education.
There are three main types of financial aid:
Loans: these must be repaid. To learn more about the student loans, please see THIS LINK
Grants and scholarships: these do not need to be repaid and can be awarded from the federal government, college/university or private organization. Additional information on federal grant programs, please click THIS LINK
Employment programs: typically called work-study. These programs allow a student to earn money while in school.
On this page, you will find information below on the Free Application For Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as well as planning and educational resources to help JHS students and their families to navigate the process of paying for college.
Overview of Federal Loan/grant and State of Iowa grant programs: LINK HERE
For a general overview of the federal Financial aid process, please see THIS LINK; there is more specific information below.
Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA
The FAFSA is a FREE online federal application that students can complete to determine eligibility for federal financial aid programs. It is done through the FAFSA.gov website and opens on Oct. 1 of the student's senior year; the prior year Federal Taxes are used.
The information below will provide more details on the process.
Federal Student Aid: Guide to Funding your Education. Please use THIS LINK to access the guide which provides an overview of eligibility, types of aid and the steps to apply.
Filing your FAFSA: please use THIS link to access information on how to file your FAFSA including how to create your FSA ID and what information you need prior to starting the application.
Now what? THIS LINK provides information on the steps and details that follow the submission of your FAFSA including understanding the Student Aid Report (SAR, making corrections to your FAFSA and what to do if you get notification that your FAFSA needs verification.
Latino College Access Network:
Resources including videos in Spanish and English on a variety of education topics including FAFSA information.
To access this information and video links, please click on THIS LINK.
FAFSA ESTIMATOR
Before you complete the FAFSA form, the Federal Student Aid Estimator can help you understand your options to pay for college or career school by providing an early estimate of your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and eligibility for federal student aid. This is also a great option for families to consider as their student builds their college list, takes campus visits and considers the best fit.
To estimate your FAFSA: Please go to THIS LINK
Scholarships:
Looking for information on scholarships? Please use THIS LINK to go to the specific information on scholarships through this JHS College and Career Planning website.