CollegeWhale.com is your #1 source for help with college financial aid, think of us as College Financial Aid 101, just like any other college course... except we don’t give out homework or start at 8am. Since 2006, CollegeWhale.com has been the leading independent source for helping college students and parents of college students find scholarships and learn about financial aid for college. As an informative organization we are dedicated to providing current information on scholarships, grants, federal student loans, private student loans, and student loan consolidation. CollegeWhale.com is here to provide you with the information you need to make the choices that are best for you.
Applying for college is hard enough, that the last thing most want to think about is how to pay for college. Figuring out college financial aid can be overwhelming, but with college costs on the rise, the reality is most students will need some kind of financial aid to help cover college costs. CollegeWhale.com has set out to simplify the college financial aid process by providing you with a basic outline of how you should began your college financial aid journey.
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Scholarships and Grants2
Federal Financial Aid3
State Financial Aid4
Private Student LoansCampus-based scholarships and grants are provided by the individual college, school or university. Campus-based scholarships and grants provide the student with money for college that does not need to be repaid. Typically, you are automatically eligible for need-based and merit-based scholarships and grants from the individual school upon submission of your college application, however some schools may require additional forms.
Private scholarships and grants also provide the student with money for college that will not need to be repaid. Privately funded scholarships and grants can come from various businesses, corporations, organizations, and clubs. Each private scholarship and/or grant will have it’s own eligibility requirements and application deadlines.
FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) is your gateway to all federal financial aid available for college. You must complete and file a FAFSA to be eligible for federal financial aid for college. Federal financial aid for college is need-based and includes the following types of aid: Grants, Work-Study, and Federal Student Loans. Grants provide money for college that will not need to be repaid, work-study provides part-time employment to help students earn money while enrolled in school, and federal loans provide money for college that will need to be repaid with interest. The only way for a student to receive any of the forms of federal financial aid listed above is to complete a FAFSA.
State financial aid for college is similar to federal financial aid, but on a local level. In most states you are eligible for state financial aid automatically when you submit your FAFSA, however some states require additional forms, so it is important to check the requirements of your own state.
Private student loans for college are provided by banks and other lending instructions, and are credit-based loans. Unlike federal financial aid, private student loans are not need based. Experts suggest exhausting all other college financial aid options before applying for private student loans.
Check out all of the awesome college financial aid information we have available on CollegeWhale. Our financial aid experts provide answers to many of the most common financial aid questions, provide tips to make paying for college easy, and highlight new college scholarship opportunities.
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