Financial Aid Based College Search Help
Purpose
The purpose of this website is to educate high school juniors and seniors about the college process, more specifically with the confusing and sometimes daunting financial aid process. This website covers the basics of the FAFSA and the CSS profile and directs users to the helpful websites. Additionally this website is a resource to help with the college search process, focusing on colleges that meet students financial need.
Why Financial Aid is Important
Any college money that does not come from family, personal savings, or work is referred to as financial aid. Grants, scholarships, work-study programs, and federal or private loans are all examples of financial aid options. Most higher education expenses, such as tuition and fees, lodging and board, books and supplies, and transportation, can be covered with financial help from the federal government, your school, or outside scholarships.
Need-based and non-need or merit-based financial aid are the two basic types of financial aid. Simply put, need-based aid is awarded based on an assessment of your financial ability to pay for college by the awarding organization. Merit-based aid is given to students who have showed talent in academics, athletics, music, etc.
As a future freshman in college, you have two options for financial help. One is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is sponsored by the United States Department of Education and is necessary to be considered for federal aid as well as most college and state aid. The second, known as the CSS Profile, is sponsored by the College Board and utilized by approximately 400 largely private colleges and universities to distribute non-government financial aid. The sooner you fill out these forms the more aid is available to you.
If you need any help filling out these forms contact RISLA (Rhode Island Student Loan Authority) to set up a phone or in-person appointment, they will help you step-by-step and you can give them your log-in information and they will fill out both the FAFSA and CSS Profile for you. They are extremely knowledgeable of the financial aid process, so don't waste hours being confused reach out for help and its FREE!
FAFSA can be quickly filled out
Given out each year in financial aid
No family makes too much or too little to qualify
FAFSA is free!
FAFSA & CSS Profile
- FAFSA
- Required by all schools to receive financial aid
- Can qualify for aid from federal government
- Evaluates need for grants, scholarships and work-study from the federal government and can be used by schools to decide their financial offer
- Will need documents about your own income and your guardian(s)
-
$0
Free to apply
- CSS Profile
- Required only by some schools
- Eligibility for financial aid sources outside of the federal government
- For school's financial aid offers such as grants, loans, and scholarships
- Will need more in-depth information then the FAFSA and will take longer
-
$25
To send per school (you may qualify for a fee waiver)
School Search
Information from PrepScholar
Coding resources from w3.css