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 can acquire one of these applications from the college you plan to attend, or fill it out online by following the steps at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov. Federal Student Financial Aid and State Student Financial Aid have different deadlines, so make sure to fill it out as soon as you can, so that you don't miss out on any financial aid you may have qualified for.
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. Federal Student Aid is not the only source of grant money. Some colleges and universities also offer Financial Aid packages.
Even if you don't qualify for federal aid, you may qualify for assistance from your state. Select your state to find grant programs for that area.
You can also apply for funds from:
- 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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