Financial Aid Search for College

FLCS Guidance Department

Preparing for College

"Without preparation, opportunity is an empty promise." - Alan Page, Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice and former NFL player

Financial Aid Search for College

The families that are the most successful in their pursuit of financial aid for their children's education are the ones that take ownership over the financial aid process.

1
Financial Aid can be need-based, merit based, or a combination of the two.

2
There are three basic types of financial aid:

Loans - are the most widely available sources of financial aid. You must repay them someday, but the interest rates for student loans are often lower than for commercial loans, and payments are often deferred until after the student has completed college.

Grants and scholarships - don't need to be repaid. Grants are usually based on financial aid alone, while scholarships are merit based or a combination of both.

Work-study - allows students to work 10-15 hours per week at the post-secondary institution during the academic year to gain money to help pay for school

3
Sources of financial aid (see the links to these sources here)

Federal Government - distributed based on the information in the FAFSA

State - apply through FFAA (Florida Financial Aid Application) online

Post-Secondary Institutions - distributed through the post-secondary institution financial aid office and their foundations

Private Scholarships - service clubs, businesses, Internet search scholarships sites, including Fastweb, etc.

4
Federal Aid

The FAFSA is used to apply for federal student financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study. This is not a scholarship, but is need-based federal assistance. Please complete your FAFSA form as soon as possible after it appears online on January 1 (of your child's senior year) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA will generally require student and/or parental tax information from the prior year. (That means you should start collecting your tax information in December so that you have all the information needed to file in January.) Money is awarded on a first come, first served basis. The sooner your form is sent in, the sooner universities will respond with a financial aid package. There are applications in the guidance office, but the online version is much preferred because it is quicker, cleaner, and more accurate, as it is self-correcting. The FAFSA is also required for many need-based scholarships.

-To get ready for the January 1 FAFSA, apply for your PIN (Personal Identification Number) in December at www.pin.ed.gov. The student will need a PIN to open their FAFSA account and electronically sign the form. The parents will need a different PIN to sign the form electronically.

-If you have questions on this form, look on the Internet at www.studentaid.ed.gov or call 1-800-433-3243.

5
State Aid

The FFAA is your application for state based financial aid including, Bright Futures. Please apply online at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org. For more information see:

www.MyFloridaEducation.com/brfuture. This application goes online December 1 of your child's senior year.

6
Post-secondary institutions

The most important thing you can do to earn scholarship money is to earn a high score on your SAT or ACT. University funded scholarships usually offer the largest financial aid package. How do you apply? Most often, your application to a specific college is all that is required, but some colleges require a separate application for scholarships. Call the financial aid office at that specific college to inquire about the details. The FAFSA will probably be required (online January 1 each year) and maybe the CSS PROFILE

(CSS Profile - program of the College Board - a national nonprofit association of schools, colleges, and educational organizations to award nonfederal money to select institutions. Apply online at www.collegeboard.com. Hard copy applications are also available in Guidance.)

7
Private Sources

There are many private sources for scholarships money.

a. All service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks, etc.)

b. Stores where you shop (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.)

c. Churches and religious groups, companies, industry groups, labor unions, veterans' groups, etc.

d. You must apply to be considered. Here are some sources:

1. www.fastweb.com - free, customized scholarship search giving away 600,000 scholarships worth $1 billion. (You can also click the link "Resources" for the latest scams.)

2. www.finaid.org - most complete financial aid site on the Internet

3. www.gocollege.com - 500,000 scholarships worth $1.1 billion

4. www.winscholarship.com

5. www.salliemae.com

6. www.ed.gov/studentaid.

7. www.collegeispossible.org

8. Check out FLCS web page and Guidance Bulletin Board for current scholarship offers

Return to Guidance Index

FLCS Guidance Department
*Preparing for College*
"Without preparation, opportunity is an empty promise." - Alan Page, Minnesota State Supreme Court Justice and former NFL player
*Financial Aid Search for College*
The families that are the most successful in their pursuit of financial aid for their children's education are the ones that take ownership over the financial aid process.
1	Financial Aid can be need-based, merit based, or a combination of the two.
2	There are three basic types of financial aid:
	Loans - are the most widely available sources of financial aid. You must repay them someday, but the interest rates for student loans are often lower than for commercial loans, and payments are often deferred until after the student has completed college.
	Grants and scholarships - don't need to be repaid. Grants are usually based on financial aid alone, while scholarships are merit based or a combination of both.
	Work-study - allows students to work 10-15 hours per week at the post-secondary institution during the academic year to gain money to help pay for school
3	Sources of financial aid (see the links to these sources here)
	Federal Government - distributed based on the information in the FAFSA
	State - apply through FFAA (Florida Financial Aid Application) online
	Post-Secondary Institutions - distributed through the post-secondary institution financial aid office and their foundations
	Private Scholarships - service clubs, businesses, Internet search scholarships sites, including Fastweb, etc.
4	Federal Aid
	The FAFSA is used to apply for federal student financial aid, including grants, loans, and work-study. This is not a scholarship, but is need-based federal assistance. Please complete your FAFSA form as soon as possible after it appears online on January 1 (of your child's senior year) at www.fafsa.ed.gov. The FAFSA will generally require student and/or parental tax information from the prior year. (That means you should start collecting your tax information in December so that you have all the information needed to file in January.) Money is awarded on a first come, first served basis. The sooner your form is sent in, the sooner universities will respond with a financial aid package. There are applications in the guidance office, but the online version is much preferred because it is quicker, cleaner, and more accurate, as it is self-correcting. The FAFSA is also required for many need-based scholarships. -To get ready for the January 1 FAFSA, apply for your PIN (Personal Identification Number) in December at www.pin.ed.gov. The student will need a PIN to open their FAFSA account and electronically sign the form. The parents will need a different PIN to sign the form electronically. -If you have questions on this form, look on the Internet at www.studentaid.ed.gov or call 1-800-433-3243.
5	State Aid
	The FFAA is your application for state based financial aid including, Bright Futures. Please apply online at www.FloridaStudentFinancialAid.org. For more information see: www.MyFloridaEducation.com/brfuture. This application goes online December 1 of your child's senior year.
6	Post-secondary institutions
	The most important thing you can do to earn scholarship money is to earn a high score on your SAT or ACT. University funded scholarships usually offer the largest financial aid package. How do you apply? Most often, your application to a specific college is all that is required, but some colleges require a separate application for scholarships. Call the financial aid office at that specific college to inquire about the details. The FAFSA will probably be required (online January 1 each year) and maybe the CSS PROFILE (CSS Profile - program of the College Board - a national nonprofit association of schools, colleges, and educational organizations to award nonfederal money to select institutions. Apply online at www.collegeboard.com. Hard copy applications are also available in Guidance.)
7	Private Sources
	There are many private sources for scholarships money. a. All service clubs (Rotary, Kiwanis, Elks, etc.) b. Stores where you shop (Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.) c. Churches and religious groups, companies, industry groups, labor unions, veterans' groups, etc. d. You must apply to be considered. Here are some sources: 1. www.fastweb.com - free, customized scholarship search giving away 600,000 scholarships worth $1 billion. (You can also click the link "Resources" for the latest scams.) 2. www.finaid.org - most complete financial aid site on the Internet 3. www.gocollege.com - 500,000 scholarships worth $1.1 billion 4. www.winscholarship.com 5. www.salliemae.com 6. www.ed.gov/studentaid. 7. www.collegeispossible.org 8. Check out FLCS web page and Guidance Bulletin Board for current scholarship offers
Return to Guidance Index