Website Provides More Than $100 Billion For Education
Students
seeking financial aid for college are required to complete the U.S.
Department of Education’s FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student
Aid), which can be accessed online in digital format. Applications must
be completed at different times into September in order to obtain money
for the 2009-2010 academic year.
FAFSA
serves as a "gateway" of sorts to loans, grants and work study programs
whereby students work part-time to offset the costs of college. Grants
are sometimes referred to as "free money." And one of the federal
government’s most recognized is the Pell grant, which makes more than
$5,000 available to some undergraduate students who qualify.
Students
who receive grants or scholarships or who participate in work study
programs can pay for the rest of their education with loans. Although
loans have to be repaid, the federal government makes some available at
low interest rates. Low- and no-interest loans are referred to as
“subsidized.”
Those
who complete the online FAFSA form must be American citizens and
eligible non-citizens with high school diplomas or General Educational
Development (GED) certificates working toward specific degrees and
certificate programs at colleges, universities and trade and technical
schools.
After the forms are submitted, applicants are provided Student
Aid Reports that typically detail how much money they'll have to pitch
in themselves for their education. Applicants may then get in touch
with the financial aid offices of schools they're interested in
attending.
Colleges
often offer financial aid of their own, and college financial aid
offices advise students in writing of the assistance different sources
plan to provide. Students should consider financial aid and
affordability along with how well suited a college is to their needs,
according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Students
interested in getting financial assistance through FAFSA for the
2009-2010 academic year must complete their forms by midnight Central
Daylight time on Tuesday, Sept. 21, 2010, but state deadlines vary and
could be earlier.
In
exchange for government grants, or online FAFSA grant money as some
say, beneficiaries are expected to meet specific academic goals.
Participants seeking an online bachelor degree or other accredited degree can figure out their assistance eligibility by completing an online FAFSA worksheet, and links on the FAFSA web site include financial aid available from agencies such as the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs and the Corporation for National and Community Services' Americorps, where students involved in community service can garner education cost credits.
- Article Word Count: 299
- |
- Total Views: 7
- |
- permalink