Use Grants to pay for college expenses!
The U.S. Federal and State Governments offer federal aid (i.e. free money) to assist students with paying for a college education. Your financial eligibility is determined by your financial status, and the financial status of your parents (if you are a dependent student) . The first thing you should do is obtain a FAFSA document (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) or fill it out online. The FAFSA is the federal application for financial aid, but it is also used to apply for aid from other sources, such as your state or school. You will need a Federal Student Aid PIN, which will allow you to electronically apply for federal student aid and to access your Federal Student Aid records online. You can acquire a FAFSA application from the college you plan to attend, or fill it out online by following the steps at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.
To receive federal student financial aid, you need to fill out a FAFSA every school year. January 1 is the first day you can submit the FAFSA for a new year. Get your information together and be ready to submit it as soon after the 1rst as you can. You also need to make sure that you submit your Financial Aid application before the deadline.
Federal Student Financial Aid Deadlines
The 2008-2009 School Year (July 1st, 2008 - June 30th, 2009):
- FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2009.
- Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight Time, September 15, 2009.
- Note: Your school must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2008-2009 school year.
The 2009-2010 School Year (July 1st, 2009 - June 30th, 2010):
- FAFSA on the Web applications must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, June 30, 2010.
- Corrections on the Web forms must be submitted by midnight Central Daylight time, September 15, 2010.
- Note: Your school must have your complete and correct information by your last day of enrollment in the 2009-2010 school year.
After applying for federal student aid, you may also qualify for assistance from your state. Select your state to find grant programs for that area.
State Student Financial Aid Deadlines
As with Federal Financial Aid, you need to make sure and apply for your State Aid prior to the deadline. The deadlines for State Financial Aid are different than Federal Financial Aid and will vary by state. Click here to see your state's deadlines.
Federal and State Student Aid are not the only sources of grant money. You can also apply for Financial Aid from:
- Some Colleges and Universities
- Foundations
- Religious organizations
- Minority organizations
- Community organizations
- Civic groups
- Organizations related to your field of interest, such as the American Medical Association or American Bar Association.
- Your employer or your parents' employers
- Your union or your parents' unions.
Remember, the most important part of any grant search is the FAFSA. You MUST complete the application and submit it to be considered for most government, public, and university programs. If you don't get the FAFSA filled out in time, you risk missing out on thousands of dollars of free money.
Once you've determined how much financial assistance that you can acquire from grants, you should also look at applying for one or more scholarships and, if necessary, a student loan.
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