Finding Out About Financial Aid
The Federal Student Aid Programs are the largest source of college financial assistance, each year providing billions of dollars in funding. They offer aid through a variety of methods: as gift aid in the form of grants (money that does not have to be repaid), and as self-help aid in the form of work study (job earnings) and loans (money that must be paid back at interest). The FSA programs comprise:
- Pell grants
- Stafford loans, available either through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program or the Direct Loan (DL) Program
- PLUS loans for parents (also available through the FFEL or DL programs)
- Consolidation loans (FFEL or DL)
- Federal Work Study (FWS)
- Perkins loans
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
The last three - FWS, Perkins Loans, and FSEOG - are known collectively as the Campus-Based Programs. Loans through the DL Program come directly from the U.S. government, while loans through the FFEL Program come from private lenders such as banks.
There are many sources of information on federal aid, and you should know that all of the information you need is available for free from the U.S. government and from your college financial aid office - so Don't Get Stung!
Basic Information
If you're still in high school, then a good introduction to financial aid for college is the booklet Funding Your Education. If you've already graduated from high school and want more details, then the Student Guide is a good place to start. There is also a Student Aid Audio Guide, which is a simulated conversation between a student and a counselor that you can listen to with the Real Player.
If a college offers Stafford or PLUS loans through the Department of Education's Direct Loan Program, the Direct Loan website will tell you about the program. If your college offers Stafford or PLUS loans through the FFEL Program, you can get information about that program from your school or its private lenders.
Applying for Federal Aid
To apply for aid, you need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA. You can do that most easily and efficiently online at FAFSA on the Web. Of course, you can apply instead with the paper FAFSA, which is available at libraries and at your high school or college counselor's office. You can also call 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243) to have a paper application sent to you.
More Information and More Websites
For a comprehensive website dedicated not only to financial aid but to all phases of getting a college education, the Students Portal is a good resource.
Looking for Student Aid is a webpage that answers some common questions, such as those regarding scholarship search services, and that gives links to other sites and to publications mentioned above.
Whether you are saving for college, are in college now, or have graduated, the IRS offers several tax breaks that can save you a lot of money. Check out the website for Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Education, or download the same material as a PDF file.
Another portal for students is students.gov, which serves as a gateway to a wide variety of resources provided by the federal government that are of interest to college students.
Colleges that offer federal student aid are typically accredited. The Department offers a list of recognized accrediting agencies.
State higher education agencies offer a wealth of information on college education and financial aid that are particular to each state.
There are other federal sources of financial assistance besides the Department of Education. The U.S. Army, for example, has long provided funding to help persons in that service to pay for college.
This page last modified March 2, 2004 (bjs).
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