Financial Aid  & Scholarships

Many scholarship and thousands of dollars are available and awarded to students each year to help pay for college.  Corporations, organizations, groups, and individuals offer a variety of national, state, and local scholarships.  Check out the links below for information, resources, and applications.  Good Luck and remember to upload a copy of your scholarship award letters or certificates to the Class of 2023 Scholarship Offer Reporting Form. 

Financial Readiness 

Tuition fees and living costs vary greatly from college to college. Research and preparation can help you find financial aid from many sources: the government, grants, scholarships, and the universities themselves.  While considering finances ask yourself:

• How to apply for financial aid using the FAFSA.

• Do I understand what college costs?

• Can my family afford to pay for any or all of my college experience?

• What grants, loans, scholarships, and work-study am I eligible for?

• How do I apply for these forms of student aid?

• When do I fill out the FAFSA?

• When is the TASFA needed?

Paying for College 

Federal Student Aid: Ways to get money for higher education 

Comparing Financial Aid Awards 

Financial Tools & Calculators 

U.S. Dept of Education Glossary of Terms (En español) 

Free Application for Federal Student Aide (FAFSA) ~ Seniors Only

College can be expensive, but did you know that financial assistance is available to help many students pay for school?  The first step to securing scholarships, grants, loans and work-study opportunities, all of which can help your student afford college, is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

File for the FAFSA or TASFA 

On October 1st, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) became available.  Completing the FAFSA is critical to getting access to grants, loans, and work-study funds. File the FAFSA or the TASFA: www.fafsa.ed.gov/. 

Have Questions? You can visit the Federal Student Aid Information Center ~ FAFSA FAQs Answers from Experts

 In most cases you will need the documents listed below to complete the FAFSA:

• Previous year's Income Tax Information, W-2s, and other records of money earned 

• Bank Statements and Records of Investments (if applicable)

• Records of untaxed income (if applicable)

• Social Security Number

• Your Alien Registration Number (if you are not a US Citizen)

• Driver’s License

• Email Account Information

To make sure students access all of the funds they are eligible for, the Department of Education has prepared a number of blog posts with information for students and families.

Not sure if filing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or the TASFA (Texas Application for State Financial Aid) is right for you? Here are the facts: 

• There is no income cut-off to qualify for federal student aid. Many factors besides income are taken into account. 

• Filing a FAFSA or a TASFA form is the only way to become eligible for most state, federal, and institutional scholarships, grants, work-study, and other types of financial aid.

• Some colleges won’t even consider you for any of their scholarships (including academic scholarships) until you’ve submitted a FAFSA. 

www.AIE.org 

www.collegeforalltexans.com 

www.mappingyourfuture.org

Searching for Scholarships

The first place to search for scholarships should be the institutions the student is applying for admission to.  Each College and University does their financial aid and scholarship applications and offers differently, so it is always best to ask questions of the Financial Aid offices at the prospective schools.

Naviance ~ Scholarships~ Log into your Naviance account and under Colleges click on the scholarship tab.

www.scholarships.com

Big Future Scholarship Search

College Scholarships for Texas

Austin Community College ~ ACC offers a variety of scholarships for students attending ACC in the Fall.