How To Get Financial Aid for Your Education Chapel Hill NC

Paying for college can seem a daunting task so it's important to have a plan of attack. Generally speaking, there are three types of financial aid--grants, scholarship, and loans.

1. Investigate grants Grants are monetary awards that are usually distributed based on financial need. Grants do not have to be repaid; they are gifts. The federal government offers two grants: The Federal Pell Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG). To apply for these grants, the student must submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). This can be done online at FAFSA or the student can submit a paper application.
   
   The FAFSA information is sent to the federal processor which then sends the information electronically to the schools listed on the application. The schools are responsible for determining the student's eligibility for these grants. States also offer grant programs. Most schools use the FAFSA information to determine state grant awards as well. To find more information about different state grants, a student should contact the financial aid office at his or her school or enter the name of the state and the word "college grants" into the Google search engine (i.e. Iowa college grants).
   
   
2. Search for scholarships Scholarships are monetary awards that are distributed based on many different criteria, ranging from academic achievement to minority status to field of study. Many scholarships are awarded based on a combination of criteria. The best places to start looking for scholarships are at the student's high school advising center and the college's financial aid office. Many financial offices have a booklet listing all of the internal scholarships the school offers. A next step is to investigate the large corporations in the student's area. Oftentimes, they will offer scholarships. Finally, the website CollegeScholarship.Com is one of many a student can find by googling "college scholarship".
   
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Author: Matthew Falduto