What is Financial Aid?

Financial Aid is money that a student applies for and/or is offered to a prospective student based on financial need. Financial Aid includes:

Loans: Loans are monies that a student and/or a parent applies for that must be paid back. All loans carry a Promissory Note, which outlines the terms of the loan.  Federal Loans can either be SUBSIDIZED or UNSUBSIDIZED. Subsidized loans do not gain interest until they are in repayment. Unsubsidized loans accrue interest while you are in school.

Grants: Grants are monies given to those with financial need that do not have to be repaid.

Scholarships: Scholarship money does not need to be repaid. It is offered for a variety of reasons, including academic merit, demographics, career interests, college majors and athletics. Some scholarships are one-time payments, while others are given every year for a certain amount of years. You can start applying for scholarships as early as 9^th grade or even before entering into the 9^th grade.

Why should I apply?

• Millions of dollars worth of financial aid are unclaimed every year.
• No matter your socio-economic background, there’s money for which you qualify.
• If 100% of your college costs aren’t covered, certain types of financial aid can cover particular expenses like books, room and board, and lab fees.
• Why not?  

Where should I apply?

                For federal aid: www.fafsa.ed.gov

                For scholarships and grants: http://scholarshipamerica.org/

                                                                            http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/

                                                                            http://www.fastweb.com/

                                                                            http://www.studentscholarshipsearch.com/

This is just a short list of resources.  We encourage you to research online for all the scholarships and grants made accessible to all prospective students.