• What questions should I ask a school?

• Lower-Cost Schools
• Work or Volunteer Opportunities
• Tax Breaks

• What about scholarship search services?
• How can I tell these search services aren’t scams? Are there any signs I should look for?

• Who can get federal student aid?
• What about the financial need requirement?
• So, how do I know how much aid I can get?
• I think I have some special circumstances in my family. Are those considered in determining my financial need?

• How do I apply?
• But I hate filling out a bunch of paperwork.
• Could I apply online?
• What if I decide I want a paper application?
• When do I apply?
• What do I need before I fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
• What if I need help filling out my application?
• How can I find out the status of my application after I submit it?
• How do the schools I’m interested in get my FAFSA information?

• If I would be considered a dependent student, but my parents are divorced or separated, whose information do I report on the FAFSA?
• I would be considered a dependent student, but I have no contact with my parents. What do I do about reporting their income?

• What do I do with my SAR?
• Once my SAR is correct and complete, how do I find out if I’m eligible and what aid I’ll receive?

Application Process Summary

Types of Federal Student Aid

• Grants
• How much can I get?
• What’s the difference between these grants?
• How will I be paid?


• Federal Work-Study
• How much can I make?
• Can I work as many hours as I want?
• Where are the jobs located?


• Loans
• What are the differences in these loan programs?
• Loan Comparison Chart
• How do I apply for a Perkins or Stafford Loan?
• How much money can I get?
• How will I get my loan funds?
• Other than interest, is there any charge to get these loans?
• So, when do I start repaying the loans?
• How much time do I have to repay?
• What if I have trouble repaying my loan?
• What is default?
• Are there any situations where my loan could be canceled?


• PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)
• What are PLUS Loans?
• How do my parents get a loan?
• How much can my parents borrow?
• Do my parents get the money or do I?
• When do my parents begin repaying the loan?

Contacting Us for More Information

Taking the Next Step

• What kind of information should I get from a school?

State Higher Education Agencies

Telephone Numbers & Useful Web Sites

Other Federal Student Aid Publications