Fed Financial - How does one start the process of getting financial aid for college?

How does one start the process of getting financial aid for college?

Will start going to college soon (in 6 months) and need financial aid? whats the process? best way to go at it? secrets to get the best aid? Thanks!

Public Comments

contact the financial aid office of the colleges you want to attend. they can help you.
start by filling out a FASFA. and make sure you have your tax info from the previous year. It is a pain but once that process is done...it gets easier.
Start by filling out your FAFSA http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
every college has a Financial Aid office and # on their website or just walk-in
FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is very important. But also, check out www.fastweb.com.
in ur high school u can ask ur guidance counselor for a FAFSA form to fill out. they will need TONS of info and it is such a b*tch to get it cuz the process can be long depending on how much info u have.. mine actually took three months, seriously but i mean it is very worth it. ur guidance counselor can help u with it if u need to. also check out the website Fafsa.ed.gov. good luck and have patience.
There's federal financial aid (just google it, I don't know the exact name). You fill out an application, and they give you money depending on your need. Also try scholarships. Their money that you get for your talents (academic, sports, etc.), but don't have to pay back. Try http://www.fastweb.com/ they have a huge scholarship search engine. And you can always talk to your guidance councilor, that is what they are there for - to help you plan for college. Best of luck to you!
go to fasfa.com. its a free application for federal financial aid. have your tax info ready along with your parents tax info. its a long application but they give u a good chunk of money. you are on the deadline so u must hurry. Go to your guidance office at your high school and ask about scholarships. they have hundreds of them you can look through. you are bound to find one that fits you. Don't wait any longer you are short on time!
You have to apply online on the FAFSA web site. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ Try to apply asap because the deadline is June 1st. Its a long application so make sure you have your tax returns, your parents tax returns and all the necessary information before you begin the application. Once you finish your application, FAFSA will complete a SAR report (details are on the web site). That determines how much aid you are eligible for. Then you should contact your college financial aid officer. Good luck!
Go to some scholarship websites like: www.fastweb.com This site gives you loads of scholarship opportunities, most of them involving essays or at least some letters of recomendation. But not all of them are horrible. I know one where you can win money for knowing all about a movie and doing a movie quiz.. You just have to look around that site. Also try to fill out the fafsa to see if you qualify for finantial aid. You can get paper copies of these in your counselors office or visit their website: www.fafsa.ed.gov Check some stores that you go to often (ie Best Buy, Walmart) to see if they are offering any cash. Also check with parent's work to see if they have any company scholarships. The money is everywhere, all you have to do is look.
First fill out the FAFSA and include the school code on it that you plan to attend, that is the easiest step. Your school will then let you know what awards you qualify for. After that speak to the financial aid office about institutional funds they may have that you qualify for. You can also look for scholarships online but remember do not ever pay to complete your FAFSA or any scholarship searches. Some sites to visit: www.fafsa.ed.gov www.fastweb.com www.scholarships.com www.ed.gov
Begin by filling out the FAFSA (www.fafsa.ed.gov/ ). This is a good starting point for multiple reasons, mostly because it shows you how much money you can get directly from the government and helps calculate the exact amount of money you will need for your college experience. Next, do some in-depth research about the college you plan on attending. Find out what types of aid you are eligible for: "gift aid," the kind which does not need to be paid back, or "self-help aid," that which will need to be repaid, often with interest. Most people require a combination of the both. Find various scholarships the college you plan to attend offers, and if you know what you plan on majoring in, begin looking into major-specific scholarships, grants, fellowships, and internships. Also, learn if you are eligible for merit-based aid, that which is awarded based on personal achievement and individual characteristics. This is especially prudent if you are attemding a school that desires to maintain or increase enrollment, because they often will reward merit-based aid for achievements which fall short of Mother Theresa. Eligibility for need-based financial aid programs is determined by one of two need-analysis formulas that seek to measure a family's financial strength and ability to pay for school expenses: Once you have completed your merit-based aid search, find out if you are eligible for need-based aid via your institution (college) of choice. The college you plan on attending should have details about this on their website and in the admissions office. Last but not least, register on a few of the popular scholarship search sites. I would recommend FastWeb.com and Scholarships.com, but there is a plethora of other choices should these two not fit your tastes. The most important thing to do is be vigilant in your search for aid and remember to stay encouraged because every penny truly counts. Good luck!
first you need to get tax info with you and fill out an application on FAFSA website, its federal financial aid website. this will see if you qualify for a pell grant (which you do not need to pay back), also contact the financial aid advisor at the school you are wanting to enter, they may have a specific student loan you need to apply for (these you pay back, but not for 6 mos after you either graduate, or drop below half time), also you could ask about work study programs. but the financial aid advisor can also tell you if you qualify for any scholorships or anything. you usually can have your books and supplies taken out of the grants also. that will help.