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There's no doubt, college is expensive and getting
more so all the time. Fortunately, a lot of people
and organizations want to help students pay for
college.
First Steps to Getting Financial Aid:
- Complete the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) after January 1, 2009. Get
a copy of the form from your guidance counselor,
library, or online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
- After you send in the FAFSA, the government
will send you, and the colleges you apply to,
your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR explains
how much aid you will need to go to college
and your estimated family contribution (EFC), or
how much you and your family will be expected
to pay.
Smart Tip
Talk to your guidance counselor and send in your
FAFSA early in your college planning process.
Other sources of money for college include:
- private scholarships (such as those listed
in this and other
directories)
- scholarships from the college you attend,
- work-study programs
- loans, and
- grants that may be offered by your or your
parents' employers, unions, or civic and religious
organizations.
Warning: Scholarship Scams
Most scholarship programs are legitimate. Regrettably,
some are scams.
Remember:
- Legitimate scholarships do not charge a fee
to apply.
- They do not call on the phone, or send an
"award letter" out of the blue.
- They never ask for your credit card number.
- They do not offer a guarantee of an award.
In short, "if it seems too good to be true,
it probably is." If you suspect a scholarship
scam, tell your guidance counselor.
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