Financial Aid
Attending college can be expensive, so it is important to know what you can afford. However there is aid out there, which include scholarships and federal aid. This page contains information on how to approach the financial aid process, as well as how to apply for federal aid.
Note: After school financial aid workshops will be held in January. Please contact Ms. Fletcher for more information.
Scholarships
Do not underestimate the power of scholarships, because there is a lot of scholarship money out there. Ever heard of a scholarship for left-handed people? Well, there is one. There are scholarships for artistic individuals, writers, athletes, etc. There are tons of scholarships out there for people like yourself so it is important that you do a little footwork to find your money.
- Try Googling scholarships dedicated towards a specific career interest or college major
- Look at the websites or call the admission phone numbers of your prospective colleges to find scholarship information. One example is the Macaulay Honors Scholarship at CUNY, which offers full tuition for high-achievers!
FAFSA
You may have heard of the FAFSA, which stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. FAFSA can be filled out starting on Jan 1st of your graduating year. If you want federal loans or grants to help you pay for college, you need to apply for it by filling out a FAFSA.
Visit the FAFSA webpage at: http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
Be wary of websites that look similar to the actual FAFSA website! It will not cost you to fill out the FAFSA, and these copycat websites will often ask for money to help you to fill out the FAFSA.
Follow these calendars to help you through the financial aid process:
Need help understanding terms mentioned throughout the financial aid process? Here is a glossary list:
Clarify your understanding of how financial aid works:
- How financial aid works, and how it makes college affordable page 1
- How financial aid works, and how it makes college affordable page 2
- En que consiste la ayuda financiera pagina 1
- En que consiste la ayuda financiera pagina 2
There is often the misconception that accepting federal aid to attend college will leave you drowning in debt. Interest rates of federal loans are very low compared to the rates that private banks will charge. Please use the worksheet below to carefully compare the financial aid packages you receive from prospective schools.