Scholarships & Financial Aid
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is money from different sources that can be used to pay for your education. These sources could be scholarships, grants, loans, or work-study programs. For a more comprehensive overview, visit the Student Aid website or the GAFutures website.
What Are Federal and state Aid?
Federal Aid
Federal aid is money from the federal government that can be used to pay for your education. Watch the videos below to better understand federal aid.
State Aid
State aid is money from the state government that can be used to pay for your education.
Click here to learn more about federal and state aid programs.
Grants
A grant is a form of federal aid that does not need to repaid. There are a variety of federal grants available like the Pell Grant and Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG).
Loans
A loan is money that is borrowed to pay for school but must be paid back to the lender. The three most common are Direct Subsidized, Direct Unsubsidized, and the Parent PLUS loan.
Direct Subsidized Loans are available to those with financial need, and the government pays interest accruing on these loans while enrolled.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans are available to undergraduate students regardless of financial need, but the government does not pay interest on these loans.
Parent PLUS Loans are loans that a parent/guardian takes out for their dependent and can cover the full COA minus other financial aid.
Work-Study
The Federal Work-Study (FWS) Program provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, allowing them to earn money to help pay some of their education expenses.
Scholarships
Scholarships are gifts that do not need to be repaid and are offered by many different organizations.
More information on scholarships can be found here.
Pell Grant
Work-Study
Federal Student Loans
Who is eligible for Federal Aid?
To be eligible for financial aid you must:
Have some form of financial need determined by the U.S. Department of Education
Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible non-citizen
Have valid Social Security Number
Be registered for Selective Service if you are male between 18 ad 25 years old
Be enrolled or accepted for enrollment for a degree or certificate program
Be enrolled at least half time to be eligible for Direct Loan Program Funds
Maintain academic progress thresholds in college
Sign Promissory Note stating that you will pay back all loans and do not owe money on another federal student grant and only use the funds for school related purposes
Must have a high school diploma, General Educational Development Certificate, or an approved home school education by the state law
More information
More information on HOPE/Zell can be found here.
More information on the FAFSA, such as how to complete it, can be found here.
More information about the CSS Profile, such as what it is and how to complete it, can be found here.
Resources for students who are either undocumented or under-documented can be found here.
*The most accurate information should always be found on the Federal Student Aid website.