This may be one of the biggest concerns to people have upon entering college. It may be important for you and your family to explore all of your options before deciding where to go to college.

How to get it:

The process of applying is sometimes enough for a student to be considered for financial assistance. Schools have their own internal scholarships they can give, Grants are available and loans are too - you will need to fill out a form called the FAFSA. What is the FAFSA? It is a Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You MUST complete a FAFSA to be eligible for financial Assistance. To learn more about it.

The Student Guide is a publication that is published annually (for every AWARD year) from the U.S. Government. The award year is a term for the academic year for example - we are presently in the 2002-2003 academic year. These booklets can be found in most Financial Aid offices of the colleges, and also in your high school Guidance Counselor's Office. Check it out here on line if you'd like.

Some Super sites to explore are :

• Finaid - Financial Aid information page
• Fastweb - Financial Aid Search through the web
• Department of Education - funding your education
• Project EASI

In New Jersey (and always remember to check with the state) there is some general criteria that is important to qualify for Financial Assistance:

1) FOR ALL, YOU MUST COMPLETE THE FAFSA FORM

2) Be enrolled full-time (12 or more credits)

3) Be a resident of the state for 12 consecutive months prior to receiving aid (including your parents if you are dependent)

4) Qualify based on $ need or academically based on academic achievement

5) Be a US citizen OR eligible noncitizen

And more specifically:

Have a High School diploma/GED
Have a valid Social Security Number
Make satisfactory Academic Progress

You really should NOT need to PAY someone on-line, from an ad in the newspaper, or over the phone to help you to locate funding in the form of scholarships. There are other ways to do this for yourself. Go to one of the BIG super bookstore's section on Reference and Education and look for scholarship books. There a quite a few books on how to get money for school. Some break it down by expected field of study, geographic location, gender, etc.

If it is really important for you to attend a specific University and your personal funds are not enough, there may be other ways to get there.

One way is to try and work for a company that has sponsored tuition plans. Many positions in higher education come with terrific benefits. The best thing being FREE TUITION. Check with the Human Resources office to confirm their policies.

What types of aid is out there:

GRANTS

Moneys that you don't have to pay back.

• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG) which range from $200 - $2000/year
• Pell Grants which range from $400 - $3000/year

SCHOLARSHIPS

This aid is based on Merit. Some colleges have their own pot of funds that they distribute based on an applicants GPA from high school, SAT scores, community involvement, athletics, or other situations they find that meet their criteria. This is the most desirable from of assistance because YOU DON'T HAVE TO PAY IT BACK.

LOANS

This is money that is borrowed and you have to pay it back gradually once you graduate (usually). There are special programs or professions out in the REAL WORLD that will BUY BACK your loans (Usually in education).

• Federal Stafford Loans are offered through direct lending programs. Students must be enrolled at least half-time (6 credits). The maximum is $2625/year
• Federal Perkins Loans the maximum is $2000/year.
• Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students(PLUS) loans maximum is $12000/year.

For grants, loans and scholarships, there is always an academic standing clause attached. This means that you must be in good academic standing to continue to receive funding. It is always best for you to check with your school's financial aid office for any changes in policy.

A part of your bill gets paid for as you work.

• Federal Work Study program (FWS) which allows you to earn money through educational employment on campus or the community. Position Notices are USUALLY posted in the Career Offices on campus.

Apply for aid as soon as possible after January 1st. You usually have to include your taxes from the previous year. If your parent claim you on their taxes as a dependent then you must send theirs. If not and you are over 24 then you send only yours.

IF THERE IS A SCHOOL YOU HAVE ALWAYS DREAMED OF ATTENDING, BUT THOUGHT IT IS TOO EXPENSIVE, DON'T GIVE UP YET. EXPLORE ALL OF YOUR OPTIONS AND TALK TO YOUR PARENTS, TEACHERS AND THE GUIDANCE COUNSELORS. THEY MAY HAVE IDEAS FOR YOU THAT YOU NEVER THOUGHT OF.

Here are some other sites that may help you find the $$$ to get you to where you want to be:

• To locate very specific and interesting scholarships check out the nerds.
• For those of us to live in the FINE state of New Jersey, why not see what the NJ Higher Education Student Assistance Authority has to say.
• And don't let yourself get fooled out there. There are some places (on-line and in your neighborhood) that may try to scam you out of money. Be careful. One site that has an eye on these scams is SRNexpress.

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