You may qualify for financial aid through the U.S. government such as: Pell Grants, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), Perkins Loans, Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL), Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, Direct Loans and Direct PLUS Loans.  

To apply for federal aid, you must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid form, known as the FAFSA. The government uses the information provided on the FAFSA to calculate the amount of money you are expected to be able to afford to pay for one year of college. The Federal Methodology formula includes income and certain assets and excludes other assets such as retirement accounts and home equity.

Many colleges rely on the FAFSA calculation while others also use a different formula that includes retirement accounts and home equity assets. If you complete The College Board's PROFILE form in addition to the FAFSA, you can make this additional information available to colleges that require it.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Is available on the Internet.  The FAFSA filing period begins January 1^st.

The College Board Financial Aid PROFILE® is available at online.

The following web sites are good sources of additional information:

• Student Aid On The Web (U.S. Federal Government)

  • Federal Student Aid for College or Career School - The U.S. Department of Education provides grants, loans, and work-study opportunities to eligible students attending participating colleges or career schools. The Department is the source of nearly 70 percent of all student aid awarded in the U.S. each year. The vast majority of the Department's aid is not based on academic merit. For further information and an online application, visit the Department's Web site. Alternatively, you may call the Federal Student Aid Information Center toll free: 1-800-4-FED-AID

• College Answer (Sallie Mae)

  • Sallie Mae, sponsor of College Answer, is the nation's leading provider of student loans and administrator of college savings plans.  SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by the United States government.
    

• National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

  • NASFAA is an association of over 3,000 colleges, universities, career schools, and others with an interest in student financial aid. NASFAA does NOT provide financial aid to students. The NASFAA web site contains some of the more helpful financial aid guidance on the Web as well as other valuable programs and resources.
    

• Federal Student Aid Financial4caster

  • Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education, ensures that all eligible individuals can benefit from federally funded or federally guaranteed financial assistance for education beyond high school. The Federal Student Aid tool FAFSA4caster will provide an early estimate of eligibility for federal student aid. The web site provides information about the financial aid process and types of available aid.

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