 Making
the Grade: Financial Aid for College
Many parents and students are already
looking for financial aid for college for the 2000-2001 academic
year. With planning and careful research, applicants will successfully
find financial aid available from many sources in a variety of types.
Successful financial aid applicants generally tend to be well organized,
thorough, prepared and careful. Unfortunately, with college costs
continuing to climb, parents and students working to pay their tuition
bills may find themselves unwittingly falling prey to scholarship
and financial aid scams. |
 |
College Is Possible
College is Possible
is a good first stop when preparing for college, choosing the right
school, and researching financial aid opportunities. This website
helps dispel some of the myths about financial aid and gives an
extensive resource list.
The College is Possible site includes
tips for parents to prepare children for college, a listing of the
best web sites and books on preparing for, choosing and paying for
college, and a student aid glossary. Learn what to expect financially
with their charts estimating costs for public and private schools
and estimating student budgets for public and private schools. |
|
 Federal Aid
The Student Financial
Assistance Programs of the
U.S. Department of Education are the largest source of student
aid in America. They provide over $40 billion a year in grants,
loans, and work-study assistance. This website gives you the lowdown
on applying for federal student aid, allows you to apply for financial
aid online, and more. |
|
|
For more information on
other popular consumer issues check out FCIC's
Consumer Focus Archive. |
|
|
Scholarships
The web site http://www.finaid.org/
offers helpful tips for those searching for scholarships. There
are hundreds of scholarships available from a variety of sources
every year. Generally, these scholarships are reserved for students
with some sort of special qualifications, such as academic, athletic,
an interest in particular field of study, etc. Finding scholarships
from non-federal sources sometimes takes thorough and careful research.
The Federal Trade Commission has published some tips for parents
and students to help prevent them from getting stung when trying
to find money for college. The FTC advises consumers to look for
the following tell-tale signs that a scholarship offer may be fraudulent.
- "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money
back."
- "You can't get this information anywhere
else."
- "The scholarship will cost some money."
- "I just need your credit card or bank account
number to hold this scholarship."
|
|
Other
Resources
This is just a brief overview. For more information
on the financial aid for college check out these resources from
FCIC and on the World Wide Web:
Publications available at FCIC:
Web Sites*:
*If you click
on these links, you are leaving FCIC's web site. Please bookmark
us before you leave so you can return easily. FCIC is not responsible
for the content of these web sites.
March 2000
Revised: December 2005 |
|
