Great College Advice

Everyone, no matter their income, should apply for financial aid. The application process is not quite as onerous as people assume; but the forms can be a bit confusing. So give yourself time to pull together the information you need and to fill out the forms.

FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid

This is the form everyone must fill out if you want to be considered for financial aid. The forms are available and can be submitted starting on January 1 of the year the student plans to matriculate into college. You can find the form at www.fafsa.gov.

CSS Profile

This form is required of many selective private institutions, and requires you to reveal more information to the financial aid offices. It is administered by the College Board, and can be found at profileonline.collegeboard.com/.

Institutional Forms

Some colleges also require that you complete another, separate form for their particular institution. Sometimes this duplicates information, but sometimes the form allows the financial aid office to determine whether you might qualify for particular scholarships offered at their institution. For example, a college might have a scholarship fund for Lutherans, or for trombone players, or residents of Peoria, Illinois.

Scholarships

The best online resource for researching various scholarship opportunities is FastWeb.  You can develop your own profile and identify organizations that might offer funds to fund your own education.  Many experts recommend that you set up several different profiles, each with slightly different criteria, so that you get a broader variety of possible matches.  You can find FastWeb at www.fastweb.org/.