is there financial assistance available while i attend classes?

Answer 1

Yes, there is, and it all begins with the FAFSA.

In order to apply for Federal Student Aid (FSA), you will need to complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov (the only official site, belonging to the Dept of Education). This application will help your school determine yor eligibility for FSA, which includes the Pell Grant, SEO Grant, Stafford Loan, Perkins Loans, Work-Study Program, Academic Competitiveness Grant, and the SMART Grant. (Keep in mind that even *loans* are considered financial aid and they are all applied for using the same application.) Some of these awards (like Pell and SEOG) are only intended for low-income undergraduate students. However, any applicant will, at the very least, be offered an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

There is also *state* financial aid available for high-need students. Your school will also use the FAFSA to determine your eligibility for loans and grants offered by your *state* education department. The types of grants and loans you may receive will vary widely from state to state. Usually, there are time constraints associated with state aid (i.e. each state will set their own deadline) -- so you should check on that FAFSA website for the deadline for your state and make sure you have filed your FAFSA before then.

Most schools also use this form to establish your eligibility for any financial aid that they have to offer (scholarships, etc.), which may be based on need, academics, or both.

If you find that your federal, state, and institutional aid package does not cover your costs, you can apply for a private loan or, if you are a graduate student, a PLUS loan (which, as an undergraduate, your parents would need to borrow FOR you). For a list of popular private loan lenders, try http://www.finaid.com/loans/privatestudentloans.phtml

Answer 2

There are tons of scholarships that go unclaimed each year. Many $400, $500 or $1000 scholarships never even get applied for because people think it's chump change and not worth applying for. Well, get a few of those $500 scholarships and it'll really make a dent in your tuition bill.

Do a search on scholarships, search your major, your ethnic heritage, your town, your parents employers, your employer, hobbies, high school, local chamber of commerce/rotary/ lion's club etc. Left-handed? There is a scholarship out there for you! Older woman returning to school? There are scholarships out there for you. Do combined searches on more than one criteria "hispanic women aviation scholarships" etc.

Go to the library and ask the reference librarian for a reference book on scholarships. They usually have more than one. There are all kinds of scholarships out there, you just have to start applying yourself and make it your summer career to send out letters everyday for scholarships. Good luck!

Answer 3

fafsa (federal student aid) if you don't qualify for that you can surely qualify for a Stafford loan, either subsidized or unsubsidized. I think the web site is www.fafsa.gov or www.fafsa.ed one of the two. Or google it, it'll come up.