Financial Aid and Scholarship Information

Financial Aid and Scholarship Information
Three things to note regarding college financial aid:

To be eligible to receive federally subsidized financial aid, college applicants must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA becomes available each year on October 1; try to complete and submit this form as soon as possible after that date. The FAFSA and its instructions are found at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa.

 Some colleges and universities require students to apply for financial aid using the CSS Profile, which is published by the College Board.  Check the financial aid webpages of the institutions to which you are applying to see if this form is required by any of them. The CSS Profile and its instructions are found at https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org/.

Colleges and universities are usually the best sources of high-dollar grants and scholarships. Study the financial aid webpages of the colleges and universities you are considering to research what each offers. 

There are several search engines that can help students identify scholarships beyond those offered by colleges and universities. Among them are:
www.fastweb.com
www.cappex.com 
www.unigo.com 
Please note:  these search engines are free of charge. Never pay a fee for a scholarship search!

Financial Aid Calculators
To estimate the actual cost of college, or to compare financial aid offers from different colleges, these websites may be helpful:
http://www.consumerfinance.gov/paying-for-college/compare-financial-aid-and-college-cost/
http://www.finaid.org/calculators/
https://bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/tools-calculators
Scholarship Resources for International Students
First, see what financial aid is available to international students at the universities where you are applying. Go to their admissions websites and click on the links for “international students” and “financial aid.”
Information about financial aid for international students can also be found at these sites:
International Educational Financial Aid: 
http://www.iefa.org/

College Scholarships.org: 
http://www.collegescholarships.org/grants/international.htm
eduPASS:  http://www.edupass.org/about/