FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid
This is the Federal form you must fill out each year in order to receive financial aid. You should fill it out in January of your senior year and every year after that in which you want to receive financial aid.
Learn about Financial Aid (Best for New York State Students and Families)
This is a teen-friendly introduction to financial aid, particularly for students and families in New York State. What's it all about? Learn here!
CollegeToolkit.com's One-Stop College & Scholarship Resource
allows students to find and apply for scholarships, search through a database of more than 4,000 colleges, and explore 900 careers all in one location. It is one of the most comprehensive sites for life after high school... and everything on the site is free for students to use!
Please Note: There are lots of scams out there. You should NEVER have to pay to apply for a scholarship or for someone to give you a list of scholarships or to help you apply for them. No legitimate scholarship will ask you to pay to apply and all information about scholarships is publicly available. You can find it on the sites listed below. If someone asks you to pay for any part of the scholarship process, run in the opposite direction.
Learn about financial aid; find scholarships for which you're eligible
Fastweb College Scholarship Search
Another scholarship search based on your information. Information on related scholarships is sent directly to your e-mail account!
Wired Scholar
Scholarship database and other financial aid opportunities
Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund
Over 100 scholarships primarily for Hispanic students
Hotmail
Get a free e-mail address if you don't already have an e-mail account. This is important for scholarship searches.
Have Questions?
- The first person to talk to whenever you have questions about financial aid is a financial aid officer at the college you are attending or that you are thinking about attending. They can answer questions not just about their college, but about financial aid at other colleges as well. Do not hesitate to contact them once you are in college, before you have enrolled, or even before you have applied. Remember, the more honest you are with them, the more they can help you.
- If you have a general question about financial aid that you can't seem to get answered, check out www.finaid.org. Here you will find a great FAQ and you can ask questions via email of professional financial aid officers who volunteer to answer questions via email.
