Guide for Getting Money for College

College is expensive, and the costs are rising. The expenses may seem too high, making a college education seem out of reach. But, don’t give up. There are many resources for obtaining the money you need for college.

First and foremost, you must fill out a free application for federal student aid, or FAFSA. This is the first step every student must take in their quest to obtain money for their college education. Fill out our FAFSA as early as possible in order to avoid delays in receiving your money. Some things you will need to have on hand while filling out your FAFSA are your last years tax returns, along with your parents last years tax returns, if you are a dependent student, drivers license, social security number, information about any assets you may hold, and bank account records. You will also need to set up a pin, which will be sent to you in the mail. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov for more information about filling out the free application for federal student aid.

After you have filled out your FAFSA you will receive what is called a student aid report or SAR. This report will tell you the amount of grants, if any, that you are eligible for, along with the amount and types of loans that you are eligible for. Grants are money for your education that you do not have to pay back. Loans are money for your college education that you do have to pay back.

Since you want to avoid taking out these loans, if possible, the next step is to research scholarship opportunities. Scholarships are everywhere and are available for many different disciplines and reasons. A good place to start is any organization you may be involved with. Check with your church, your parents’ employers, and your employer. One of the best online resources for college money is www.fastweb.com. This website is completely free and filled with great information on how to obtain money for your college education. The key word here is ‘free’. Never pay money for scholarship help, it will likely be a scam, and it is unnecessary to pay for help when it is available for free. Fastweb will also email scholarship updates and deadlines as they occur.