What's the best source for financial aid for college?

Answer 1

1) Fill out the FAFSA (Federal Applicaion For Student Aid) if you're going to school in the United States. You can do this online. http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/

2) Talk to the financial aid counselor at the school you'll be attending, and see if they have any suggestions for you, based upon your FAFSA. Often, they know of things that you can do that will be handy. My school has lists of local grants and scholarships that might apply to my situation.

3) Try fastweb.com. They list more opportunities you might not have thought of. Remember to include everything about yourself when filling out the questionnaire. Did you grow up in Smith County? Did you attend John Smith High School? Was your mom an underwater basketweaver? Obscure little facts about yourself can be very useful. Invest some time filling out applications and writing essays now, and you can get lots of money. Small grants and scholarships add up- don't just apply for huge dollar amounts.

4) Go to your local library. You might take your notes from filling out the fastweb application. The reference librarian will be able to steer towards the books that have scholarships and grants listed. Make sure that when you're searching these resources that you are including everything special about you.

5) Work part-time in your field of interest during the school year and full-time in the summers. This can be on-campus or off-campus. On-campus work is best because you will be eligibile for more money on your next FAFSA. You'll gain some experience, meet people who can be references for your work ethic, get some time away from studying, and make money. Call it do-it-yourself financial aid, if you want.

6) Use loans as a last resort. Use the grants,scholarships, and your job earnings, then decide how much you want to pay back later. You'll end up with much less debt.

Answer 2

For my circumstances, the best sources were scholarship winnings, government grants, and my parents. When I graduated from the California State University system 2 years ago I did not have any debt to repay.

Answer 3

Speaking from experience, government loans. Those you can consolidate, and lower the interest rates on. If you get a private bank funded loan, if the Fed raises the interest rate, you cannot do anything about it, your payments will go up, and there's nothing you can do about it, unless you pay off that loan entirely.
Another thing I've learned, it takes about 10 to 20 years to pay off college debt, but if you make those payments on time, you will build a solid and good credit history.

Answer 4

fafsa.com its free