Financial Aid

Financial aid is money in the form of grants, scholarships, loans, and work-study to help students and families with paying for college.  Financial aid can be need-based, for which students qualify based on the family's income relative to financial commitments.  Merit-based aid is awarded to students based on their academic achievement.  Students can receive either or both types of aid.  Assistance from the federal government offered to qualifying students upon completion of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is typically in the form of a PELL Grant, loans, and/or work-study.  Institutional aid from individual colleges is usually awarded as grants or scholarships.

All families should submit the FAFSA as soon as possible after 1 December of the year before their student is expected to enroll in college.  Even students who do not qualify for need-based aid can be considered for merit scholarships or grants, and colleges require the FAFSA before building a financial aid package that includes any type of aid.