College Articles Financial Aid

These articles are helpful, but if they leave you with questions, check with the College Planning Center of Rhode Island, which is free and excellent. Its website is www.risla.com/college-planning-center. For FAFSA help, make an appointment for October or November in August or September so that you don't get shut out!

Useful starter articles about college financial aid with links:

Fastweb's financial aid basics with lots of links 23

Ron Lieber: 4 Links to Financial Aid Data You Need 23

New England Tuition Break:

This is a program that provides instate tuition at state colleges in other New England states that offer programs not offered at RI colleges if the student is majoring in that program. Recently, it has been expanding at many schools so that there doesn't have to be a program not offered in your home state school

Link to list of New England Tuition Break Eligible State Colleges with links:

2022 List of tuition break eligible NE colleges with links

Link to overall information about the program:

https://nebhe.org/tuitionbreak/

State Financial Aid Offices (very helpful)

Massachusetts: https://www.mass.edu/osfa/home/home.asp

Rhode Island College Planning Center: https://www.risla.com/en-us/college-planning-center

RI FAFSA Help Sites:

https://www.prepare-ri.org/fafsa

https://www.onlineu.org/resources/what-is-fafsa-guide

Link to Common App. Site For Families that includes financial aid information:

- https://www.commonapp.org/family

Jobs That Pay For College or Provide Scholarships

Jobs That Pay For College or Provide Scholarships 23

Comparing Financial Aid Packages

This is a College Board tool to compare up to 4 packages:

https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/financial-aid-awards/compare-aid-calculator?ep_mid=11441678&ep_rid=285397854

Scholarships: Go to the Scholarships page for specifics: https://sites.google.com/s/1oL7byKBTmKvFt4GASZIQkcGl6Vh_N_gH/p/1ARe8aIxzokZk2BxMIJSyLh2p2AxtpRdy/edit

The articles below cover a range of financial aid and college cost issues. If they don't answer your question, the best place to turn, as noted at the top of the page, is the College Planning Center of Rhode Island.

How to Avoid making financial aid errors 23

FAFSA Advice:

When will the FAFSA be available? 23

Here's a Guide to the FAFSA from Stand Out College Prep: https://www.standoutcollegeprep.com/elementor-5833/

Good FAFSA update 9/23

Potential issues with the new FAFSA for 2023-4

Why you should fill out the FAFSA ASAP (really by Dec. 1) 23

Should You Bother To Fill Out the FAFSA? 21

Why You Should Fill Out the FAFSA? 21

What you need to complete the FAFSA 21

A student's guide to the FAFSA 21

What To do after/along with the FAFSA for financial aid 21

How To check your FAFSA status after it's in 21

Important Financial Aid Changes for 2024 that might help to know about now 21

FAFSA Checklist 21

What's Changing in the New FAFSA 21

4 Ways the FAFSA can help you pay for college 21

10 FAFSA errors to avoid 21

New FAFSA Changes: Winners and Losers 21

Helpful FAFSA Efficiency Tips 21

Kiplinger's on FAFSA change for 2021

FAFSA change for 2021

Updates about FAFSA, Pell Grants and possibly loan forgiveness 21

Avoid Common FAFSA Mistakes 20

Free Chatbot To Help with FAFSA 20

Forbes FAFSA Review 19

File FAFSA as soon as you can19

FAFSA Tool Change 19

Your Taxes and the FAFSA 19

CSS Profile: In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges (mostly the more academically competitive ones) require the CSS Profile, which is run by the College Board. It requires more information, especially from divorced parents about the non-custodial parent. Most of our students don't need to do this for their colleges, but most years, at least a couple do. It's important to check whether this is required.

Advice About Filling out the CSS Profile 21

GETTING HELP WITH THE FAFSA AND CSS PROFILE18.DOCX

Financial Aid Appeal Advice:

Making sense of your financial aid letter 23

Inside Financial Aid Letters 23

Tips for Interpreting Financial Aid offers 23

11 Tips to Appeal for more financial aid 23

Interpreting and appealing college aid awards 23

Financial Aid Appeal Advice 22

Financial Aid Package Appeal Advice 22

Financial Aid Awards Are Definitely Negotiable 21

How to negotiate Financial Aid Awards 21