Basic assistance categories:

• Financial need-based
  Remember that students and their parents are responsible for paying what they can-- financial aid is a supplement, not a substitute, for family resources.


• Non need-based
  Factors include academic excellence, ethnic background, or organization membership. Corporations may also offer assistance to employees and children.

Federal Student Aid:

• Provides nearly 70% of student aid under Loans, Grants and Work/study programs.
• Available to all need-based applicants; some loans and competitive scholarships for non need-based.
• Free information from theUnited States Department of Education:
  • Funding Your Education
  • Student Guide
• Loans are the most common federal aid and must be repaid when you graduate or leave college.
  • Stafford Loans include:
    • Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) from private lenders, such as banks and credit unions, guaranteed by the federal government.
    • William D. Ford Direct Loans (DL) directly from the federal government.
    • Federal PLUS Loans parental loans, not need-based.
  • Perkins Loans for the most needy undergraduates; through participating schools.
• Scholarships/grants are mostly need-based and require no repayment:
  • Pell Grants
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Other grants, scholarships, and fellowships, mostly graduate level: search the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) by Beneficiary, such as "Student or Trainee" or "Graduate Student".
• "Congressional" scholarships:
  • Named for Member of Congress or other prominent individual (such as Byrd Honors Scholarships, Fulbright fellowships)
  • Merit-based and highly competitive
  • Members of Congress do not play a role in selecting recipients
  • Search by Beneficiary in the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
• Work study programs allow you to earn money while in school:
  • Federal Work Study Program: college campus jobs
  • Student Educational Employment: jobs with the federal government
• For questions not covered by the Department of Education Web site, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.

States offer residents a variety of scholarships, loans, and tuition exemptions.

• Check with your state higher education agency and guarantee agency.
• Consider prepaid tuition and college savings ("Section 529") plans: College Savings Plans Network.
• Search your Internet browser under terms such as student financial aid or assistance AND your state.

Colleges and universities provide some 20% of aid, most need-based. Check university Web sites and the institution's financial aid office when you apply for admission.

Private foundations, corporations, and organizations offer scholarships or grants:
Scholarship Search
FastWeb
Free Scholarship Search
Grants for Individuals
SRN Express