This website explains student financial aid programs the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid (FSA) office administers. These first few pages summarize this aid and the process involved. The rest of the publication discusses in detail what you need to know.

Approximately two-thirds of all student financial aid comes from the federal programs you’ll read about here. For additional sources of financial aid, other than the federal government, talk to the financial aid administrator at the school you plan to attend. Also, visit the library and check out the Internet, in both cases searching under “financial aid” and “student aid.”

Beware of scams and services that will search for financial aid money for you for a fee. There is a law that protects you from this type of fraud (see scholarship scams for more information).

Applying for student aid is free; that’s why the application you’ll use is called the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). You’ll read more about how to apply later, but if you need help completing the FAFSA, you can get that help free, too. You don’t have to pay for assistance.

The Student Guide is free.

If you paid for a copy of this publication, please write to the following address
and give us the name and address of the organization that charged you.

Federal Student Aid Information Center
P.O. Box 84
Washington, DC 20044-0084

The English and Spanish versions of The Student Guide are also available free online at:  www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA