More Federal Student Aid Information
Most student financial aid comes from the U.S. Department of Education grant, work-study and loan programs you read about here. We award almost all aid based on need; your high school grades and class ranking are not considered in this process.
If you still have questions about federal student aid programs after reviewing this publication, you can:
Financial aid office Talk to the financial aid staff at each school you’re interested in to find out about the school’s financial aid programs and the total cost of attending that school.
State Higher Education Agency Your state agency can give you important information about state aid—including aid from the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program, funded jointly by states and the U.S. Department of Education. See the "State Higher Education Agencies" section in this guide for your state contact information.
AmeriCorps This program provides full-time educational awards in return for community service work. You can work before, during or after your postsecondary education, and you can use the funds either to pay current educational expenses or to repay federal student loans. For more information, contact:
Corporation for National Service
1201 New York Avenue, NW
Washington, DC 20525
Public libraries and the Internet These are excellent sources of information on state and private sources of financial aid. When using either source, search using keywords like “financial aid,” “student aid,” “scholarships,” etc.
Beware of scams and services that will search for financial aid money for you for a fee. You should not have to pay for this information.
U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs If you (or your spouse) are a veteran or you’re the dependent of a veteran, veterans’ educational benefits may be available. Information is available at www.gibill.va.gov or call 1-888-GI-BILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).
Internal Revenue Service (IRS) The IRS offers financial aid to certain taxpayers to help pay higher education expenses. The IRS offers two federal income tax credits (tax credits offer dollar-for-dollar reductions in your final tax liability) for higher education expenses.
The Hope Tax Credit, worth up to $1,650 per student, is available for first- and second-year students enrolled at least Half-time.
The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit is a tax benefit equal to 20 percent of a family’s tuition expenses, up to $10,000, for virtually any postsecondary education and training. This applies to undergraduate, graduate and professional degree schools and even for less than Half-time study.
For more information on the Hope and Lifetime Learning tax credits, and other tax benefits for postsecondary students, go to www.irs.gov. IRS Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education, which explains these credits and other tax benefits, is available online, or call 1-800-829-1040. TTY callers should call 1-800-829-4059.
www.students.gov This site provides access to government resources to help you plan and pay for your education. Besides finding financial aid information, you can use this Web site to file your taxes, search for a job and take advantage of other government services.
Remember, you can get FREE help in finding financial aid from the sources we’ve mentioned in this section. You can also check with the colleges or career schools you’ll be applying to. You don’t have to pay for someone to help you.
U.S. Department of Education | Federal Student Aid
