Financial Aid Options
How to Apply for Them
Pell Grants / Supplemental Grants / Scholarships/ Grant Applications
Grants and scholarships are gifts of money to pay college costs. They
need not be repaid. Federal grants are based on financial need.
Scholarships may also be based on financial need, but often they are
awarded to students with specific skills or interests.
Federal Pell Grants
Any undergraduate college student who hasn't already received a bachelor's
degree can apply for a federal Pell Grant. Awards are based on financial
need, and amounts vary annually. The maximum grant for the 2008-2009
school year is $4,731. To apply, complete a Free Application for Federal
Student aid (FAFSA), available from from your Idaho EOC Advisor,
college financial aid offices, or online. (We've got some tips about
filling out the online FAFSA if
you've not used the online application before.)
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
Eligibility for these grants is the same as for Pell Grants:
any undergraduate college student who hasn't already received a bachelor's
degree can apply. Awards are based on financial need and range up to
$4,731. To apply, complete a Free Application for Federal Student aid (FAFSA),
available from any Idaho EOC office, college
financial aid offices, or online.
(We've got some tips about filling out the online FAFSA if you've not used
the online application before.) You may also have to complete additional
forms; ask your college.
Scholarships (Beware
of Scams) Financial
Aid Applications
In addition to grants, scholarships are the other major form of financial
aid that need not be repaid. Scholarships generally
should be considered as supplements, however. They are competitive, and
funds are limited. Apply for other forms of aid
first.
Whenever you're searching for
scholarships, beware of scholarship scams. Every year thousands of
students and their families lose millions of dollars to scholarship
fraud.
You will need to fill out and submit applications for financial aid if you
want to receive grants, loans, or
Your eligibility for aid is based on
the information you provide on the applications. Fill them out carefully. We
highly recommend that you print a copy of any application you complete online.
There is usually a print option at the end of the application.
For some tips on filling out FAFSA on the Web,
click here
Thanks to the State of Virginia for sharing their FAFSA Tips.