There are many different ways to pay for college. Here are some of the main options available to students and families:
Scholarships - from the college, local scholarships from the Hawley Scholarship Foundation and other local businesses and families, from a parent's employer or civic group, or those posted on this website (Scholarship List) or a scholarship search engine
Any scholarship search engine or app that doesn't charge is fee is ok to use. A couple common ones are fastweb.com and scholarships.com
Hawley students can also login to their MCIS account to find scholarship opportunities - under the Education tab check out "Scholarships" or "Financial Aid Sort." Forgot your login info? See Mrs. Boeshans or Mr. Esterby!
Loans - access federal and state student loans by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
Grants - money for students who have the most financial need, doesn't need to be re-paid. Access grants by completing the FAFSA
Work Study - accessed by completing the FAFSA. Money set aside for students to earn by working at a job on campus or arranged off campus through the work study office.
Savings - student or family's personal savings or 529 plans
Other options - Military educational benefits, arrangements with an employer who will pay for all or part of the education in return for working with them for a certain amount of time, service programs such as AmeriCorps, tax credits, loan forgiveness programs (example: state STEM programs, teaching in low-income schools)
To apply for federal student loans, grants, or work study, start by filling out the FAFSA annually:
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) for the 2026-27 school year is available as of October 1 at www.fafsa.gov
Tax information from 2024 will be used for the 2026-27 FAFSA (called prior-prior year tax information).
Some colleges, universities, and training programs use information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for their own non-federal financial aid, so even if you don't think you'll qualify for federal student aid, you may still want to complete the FAFSA.
Contact the college's financial aid office with any questions!
Reciprocity
Minnesota has agreements with North Dakota, Wisconsin, Manitoba, and Iowa Lakes Community College to provide lower tuition for Minnesota residents attending public colleges and universities in those states. Typically, non-resident admission fees and tuition are reduced (or eliminated) if you're a reciprocity student. Students need to apply for tuition reciprocity after applying for admission to the participating college or university. The FAFSA or MN Dream Act application are not requirements for consideration for reciprocity. Learn more and access the application here.
Hawley High School's annual financial aid night will be held November 3, 2025. The guest presenter will be Jess Christensen, Senior Associate Director of Financial Aid. Here are the resources that were shared last year:
2025-26 HHS Scholarship Information handout
Info about completing the FAFSA, helpful tips, and details about various types of financial aid - presenter slides
FAFSA - Where you get the ball rolling on accessing financial aid by completing the FAFSA online (for free!)
Federal Student Aid - All about federal student financial aid and how it works
Federal Student Aid YouTube Channel - Short videos explaining all facets of the financial aid process
Minnesota Goes to College - a variety of resources about the financial aid process and paying for college