Financial aid
Note to students: If you have very specific questions about your financial aid situation, please ask your parents or the college/university to which you are applying.
Websites
FAFSA - No one who applies to college escapes the FAFSA, the basic financial aid form! Even if you don't think you qualify, you should apply!!
7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA
Go directly to the FAFSA page
A basic lesson in financial aid - presented at SJS on Oct 2, 2014, by Katy O'Neil, senior financial aid counselor at Willamette University. A good place to start on the basics of financial aid. (This presentation can be downloaded to your own computer.)
NASFAA
If you don't know the difference between 'need based' and 'merit based' financial aid, start here:
NASFAA
Websites
FAFSA - No one who applies to college escapes the FAFSA, the basic financial aid form! Even if you don't think you qualify, you should apply!!
7 Easy Steps to the FAFSA
Go directly to the FAFSA page
A basic lesson in financial aid - presented at SJS on Oct 2, 2014, by Katy O'Neil, senior financial aid counselor at Willamette University. A good place to start on the basics of financial aid. (This presentation can be downloaded to your own computer.)
NASFAA
If you don't know the difference between 'need based' and 'merit based' financial aid, start here:
NASFAA
The College Board is a gold mine of college information (that's their raison d'etre!). Here's the link to their financial aid page:
Pay for College
Pay for College
Types of Federal Student Aid - published by the U.S. Dept of Education - also includes a link to the FAFSA forms
Federal Student Aid
An Oregon site to help Oregon students pay for college - podcasts on a variety of college-related topics:
Oregon Student Access Commission
Oregon Opportunity Grant
Understanding student loans:
ECMC
ECMC
Loan information
Staffordloans
Sallie Mae
ParentPlusLoan
Most often associated with 'best colleges' lists, this site also has a lot of other college information including a page on paying for it
US News
The Wiche Program - a western states coalition, including Oregon, of 2 and 4 year colleges that offer tuition exchanges - if your state doesn't offer a specific program that you're interested in, you may find it in one of the other states and not have to pay out-of-state tuition
Wiche
Beware!! There are websites, and some mailings you might receive, that offer - for a fee - to help you apply for financial aid. You should never have to pay anyone to apply for financial aid. Be especially careful when you go to the FAFSA application - sometimes pop ups appear that invite you to apply for "only $69.00" (or some other amount). Don't pay anything - be sure you are on the right page for FAFSA!!!!
Financial Aid Calculators
Big Future - lets you use the net price calculators of many colleges using data that you enter into the system only once
US Dept of Education - takes you directly to the net price calculator of any college
FinAid - lots of financial aid information but the best part may be the many different kinds of calculators
Staffordloans
Sallie Mae
ParentPlusLoan
Most often associated with 'best colleges' lists, this site also has a lot of other college information including a page on paying for it
US News
The Wiche Program - a western states coalition, including Oregon, of 2 and 4 year colleges that offer tuition exchanges - if your state doesn't offer a specific program that you're interested in, you may find it in one of the other states and not have to pay out-of-state tuition
Wiche
Beware!! There are websites, and some mailings you might receive, that offer - for a fee - to help you apply for financial aid. You should never have to pay anyone to apply for financial aid. Be especially careful when you go to the FAFSA application - sometimes pop ups appear that invite you to apply for "only $69.00" (or some other amount). Don't pay anything - be sure you are on the right page for FAFSA!!!!
Financial Aid Calculators
Big Future - lets you use the net price calculators of many colleges using data that you enter into the system only once
US Dept of Education - takes you directly to the net price calculator of any college
FinAid - lots of financial aid information but the best part may be the many different kinds of calculators
Books
Paying for College Without Going Broke - Princeton Review publication...Princeton Review has a series of books that deal with the parts of the college application process. You can buy them from Amazon.com, Powells.com or take a look at the whole series at Random Publishing House which is also happy to sell you the books.
Filing the FAFSA: The Edvisors Guide To Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid - by Mark Kantrowitz and David Levy. This book was recommended recently by Liz Pulliam Weston in her 'Money Talk' column that appears in the Sunday Oregonian. It is available at Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback editions.