Financial Aid Tips & Resources

1. Plan ahead. Begin planning with your parents so you can save money. Seek out resources at: www.getreadyforcollege.org.

2. Research the costs. Attend college and education fairs. Request financial aid applications from school offices. Determine the price of attending schools that interest you. Make note of deadlines. Collect the information you need to determine how much assistance you'll need and when to apply.

3. Do your homework. There are many types of financial aid. Start early to determine the types you qualify for — grants, scholarships, work study and loans — and what you need to do to apply. Use www.getreadyforcollege.org. to research types of aid, tax benefits, new laws and more.

4. Complete the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the most important way to apply for financial aid. Most schools use the FAFSA to determine the amount of financial aid you need and the amount you and your family are expected to contribute from savings and income.

To complete the FAFSA on time, you and your parents should complete your federal tax forms as early as possible after January 1. Make copies of your parents' and your own tax forms before sending them off. For more details, go to: www.fafsa.ed.gov.

CareerOneStop's Financial Aid Section
Grant, loan and scholarship information.

CollegeNET
This site features the MACH25 scholarship search. They don't require any personal information to search through 600,000+ scholarship opportunities.

FAFSA on the Web
This site answers questions for students and parents, about filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). You can fill out the form for free from this Web site without having to download any additional software. Forms can be saved onto a disk and completed or transmitted at a later date.

Fast Web
Free financial aid search Web site with numerous scholarship listings.

FinAid
FinAid is a free, informational resource about financial aid. You'll also find information about financial aid for specific groups, like minority students, older students, females and others.

Focus on Financial Aid
This book, published by the Minnesota Office of Higher Education (MOHE) describes the financial aid process, types of financial aid, and how to apply. To order a copy, call 1.800.657.3866 or TTY: 1.800.627.3529.

ISEEK: Financial Aid
This section of ISEEK is great if you're looking for basic financial aid information.

ISEEK's Financial Aid Resources
Make sure to also check out ISEEK's comprehensive list of financial aid Web sites.