All Financial Aid Articles

Don't panic if you get a FAFSA verification.
financial aid

What is FAFSA Verification?

Financial aid can be stressful, especially when it comes to lengthy federal forms. But don’t panic if you get a notification that says your FAFSA needs to be verified. What is FAFSA verification? It’s exactly what it sounds like—FAFSA verifying the information you submitted to them. Think of it as a double-check, just to make …
college freshman scholarship
financial aid

Pros and Cons of Work Study Programs

While researching financial aid, and ways to pay for college, you might have come across the federal work study programs. They are great opportunities for students to earn experience and get paid for their work, but what about the drawbacks? Is work study right for you? Pro: Financial aid Work study programs pay their student …
White calculator over a paper.
financial aid

How to Use a Net Price Calculator 

Figuring out the actual cost of attending any particular college can be tricky. More often than not, students do not pay the published tuition fee amount or the ‘sticker price’. The actual amount they end up paying could be a little or a lot lower, depending on the scholarships and grants that they have been …
Scrabble tiles.
financial aid

Understand The Language of Financial Aid

One of the biggest obstacles students encounter in trying to get the financial aid due to them, is understanding the very formal and utterly complicated language used in describing the application process and many the terms and conditions. Many students, who are otherwise eligible for financial aid, end up not availing of a large portion …
Boxes with a blue X's inside.
financial aid

FAFSA Deadlines You Need to Be Aware of

Key Takeaway: When you file FAFSA, the Federal FAFSA deadline (June 30 of the award year) isn’t the only important date to consider. You also need to factor in the College’s FAFSA deadline and the State FAFSA deadlines. These dates vary by institution, state, and program, so check with your school’s and state’s websites to …
Portrait of a hand holding 4 twenty dollar paper bills.
financial aid

What Are Financial Aid Refunds?

Financial aid refunds are refunds that are given to students when the amount of loan given to a student is more than what the student needs for the cost of education. Here’s how it works. The FAFSA and Financial Aid Packages After you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a financial aid award letter. This …
A bunch of coins.
financial aid

How Divorced Parents Affect Student Loans

A common proverb reminds us that half of marriages end in divorce. To be more exact, approximately 42% of married couples are divorced. It should be noted that the divorce rate for couples without children is 40% higher than those with children. It’s often said, for good reason, that divorce is hardest on the children. …
Like a gap on a sidewalk, gapping is when a college can't meet the full financial needs of a student.
financial aid

A Guide to Funding the Financial Aid Gap

Although many schools offer financial aid packages to help make college more affordable for its students, some individuals find themselves unable to cover the entire cost of their education even with these packages. This is what they call a financial aid gap. If a student is in this situation – what are their options? Finding …
How are scholarships and grants similar and different? Scholarships vs. grants
financial aid

Scholarships vs Grants: The Similarities And Differences

In your search for financial aid to pay for college, you’ve likely come across the terms “grants” and “scholarships”. In fact, these two terms are often grouped together in most discussions related to financial aid, and there’s a reason for this. Grants and scholarships are the only two types of free financial aid available to …
A student hiking in the hills during the summer.
financial aid

Use Summertime to Search for Financial Aid Opportunities

Summer is a great time to relax, catch up on your reading list, play a few video games, or take on a part-time job. Before college starts up again though, you may want to consider using some of your summer to expand your search for financial aid opportunities. Here are a few things you should be …

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Join thousands of students and parents learning about finding the right college, admissions secrets, scholarships, financial aid, and more.