Table Of Contents
- Education After High School
What questions should I ask a school?
- Paying Tuition and Other Costs
So, how can the U.S. Department of Education help me pay for school?
- What about scholarship search services that contact me?
How can I tell these services aren't scams?
Are there any signs I should look for?
- Applying for Financial Aid
But I hate filling out a bunch of forms.
So, if I want or need to use a paper form, where can I get one?
When can I apply?
What should I know before I get started?
What does the application ask for?
What is a PIN?
How can I find out the status of my application?
What happens after my application is processed?
- Eligibility Criteria
How will I know what I'm eligible for?
What is cost of attendance?
Are my family's special circumstances considered?
- Important Deadlines
What deadlines do I have to meet?
Verification? What is that?
- Federal Pell Grants
How much can I get?
If I'm eligible, how will I get the Pell Grant money?
- Campus-Based Aid Programs
Let's start with Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.
And what is Federal Work-Study?
Will I be paid the same as I would in any other job?
What kinds of jobs are there in Federal Work-Study?
What about Federal Perkins Loans?
How much can I borrow?
Other than interest, is there a charge for this loan?
So, when do I pay it back?
What if I have trouble repaying the loan?
- Stafford Loans
How can I get a FFEL or Direct Loan?
So, how will I get the loan money?
How much can I borrow?
What's the interest rate?
When do I pay back the loan?
- PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)
How do my parents get a loan?
How much can my parents borrow?
Who gets my parents' loan money?
What's the interest rate?
When do my parents begin repaying the loan?
- Stafford and PLUS Loan Questions
Other than interest, is there a charge for these loans?
How are the loans repaid?
What if someone has trouble repaying?
- Reducing the Cost of School
Will the government give me a tax break?
What about lower-cost schools?
What about working or volunteering?