I need info on grants that I don’t have to pay back or loans with a low interest rates.

Aside from FAFSA http://www.fafsa.ed.gov and Pell Grant http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2004_2005/english/types.htm , you may want to explore private foundation grants

For private grants, you may want to check the Foundation Center’s Foundation Grants for Individuals Online http://gtionline.fdncenter.org . It’s a subscription based website ($9.95 per month) and their opening blurb only says that the database is ideal for "students, artists, academic researchers, libraries and financial aid offices."

I was going to apply for financial aid and fill out my FAFSA profile and all that but I missed the deadline for one of my schools. However, my dad told me not to even bother filling it out. He said that since he makes a really really good salary, I’d probably not get anything.

Should I even bother or should I look for scholarships? Thanks.

You SHOULD apply for financial aid and look for scholarship, even if your dad makes good money, he probably wants of keep some in his pocket.
Trust me, more money you get the better off you are.

I graduated this year but had trouble with the college i was going to. so now im starting in Jan. is it to late for me to apply for scholarships? or Im i stuck with the financial aid i have now?

u can still apply… i found this site a bit back that offers some decent scholarships http://www.scholarshipmoms.com

Arkansas started it’s lottery today and it is going to pay for college
scholarships for students in Arkansas. Done in moderation is this
okay for a Christian to do?

Yes, in my opinion this is an Ok thing. This is definitely a worthy cause and in moderation doesn’t hurt anything. People have fun while making contributions toward someone’s education.

Okay so I’m applying for college soon. I heard that it’s good to start applying for scholarships and all that junk early. If I plan on starting college next fall, when should I start applying for scholarships?

And can you tell me what the difference is between student loans, financial aid, and grants? Or tell me what they are? I sort of know but not really.

And if you know any good scholarships or really good websites full of them, please give me the link.

Thanks!! I’ll appreciate you answering whatever you can.

First, check the financial aid website of the school where you are planning on attending. You might find very useful information there.

You should start applying as soon as possible! Or at least start thinking now. There will be different scholarships for different majors, too.

Loans–have an interest rate and must be paid back, there is usually a period (6 mo.) after graduation where you don’t have to pay back.

Financial aid—basic term for help with finances. Many places have a "financial aid" office and workers.

Grants–money that you do not have to pay back, can also be in the form of Tuition Waivers

Check into school or major specific scholarships and grants. Also, check with your high school. Mine had an awesome scholarship program and gave away many at the end of Sr. year.

Good luck!

p.s. if you are looking into becoming a teacher, there are great sources of financial aid for that field and for nursing, such as reimbursement if you sign a contract saying you will work for a hospital or school of need.

I want to get into this college called Pace University in NYC and it costs $30,000/year. I can never afford this much as I make about $20,000 a year. How much can FAFSA grant me with my such low income and such an expensive school and what else can I do?

20K a year may not be considered low income if you are a single person…. just so you know.

Anyway, IF you are poor according to the federal government, the maximum Pell grant you can get is $4,731 for the entire year if you attend school full time. The state of NY has grants as well, but I’m not sure what the max is on that one. If you are a dependent freshman in college, you can also borrow 5,500 a year in federal Stafford loans. Dependent students can also ask their parents to take out parent PLUS loans to may most of the remainder.

I know in the state of Florida, you need to fill out a FAFSA to apply for student loans, but is that the same for scholarships? Because unfortunately I am in the position where I can not fill out a FAFSA. Has anyone had to go through this before, does anyone one have some helpful information? If you know any good scholarship programs please share! It’s hard to find the right ones.

You full out FAFSA to get Federal Financial Aid, not loans. You can go to www.FastWeb.com for a free scholarship search.

He is 19 and a college freshman.

Check this out. I dont know how accurate or dependable this may be but its worth a shot!

http://www.finaid.org/otheraid/ld.phtml

Hi. I’m an entering freshman at UC san diego. The tuition is around $22,000+
I’m only getting around 3500 in LOANS.
Why did i get so little? and i did not qualify for cal grant.
i would consider my family middle class. and 18k is a LOT of money. it’ll be really hard to pay. Was this enough or was there an error?

I would imagine that you may have to apply for a private student loan. Are the loans that you are taking federal loans? As they have designated amounts that you are eligible for. Because of your "middle class" status there may be more costs that need to be incurred by your family. Check out www.salliemae.com, and check into the private loans etc. Have you researched all avenues for available "higher education" grants and loans? Here in Indiana we have those based on financial need as well as pell grants, stafford loans, PLUS loans and Perkin’s–which are all federal government loans (lower interest rates). Try going to the FAFSA website to find more info about loans. Other than that, I would only be able to suggest a private student loan, which the interest rates for student loans are low (around 8%), and you can borrow anywhere between $30-40k.

Good Luck!!

Please tell me how much is usually the cut off for financial aid in terms of how much a family makes and any other facts you may know.

Andreas :

There are too many variables involved in financial aid to say "okay, here’s the cut-off". The financial aid that you might be awarded is determined by more than just income. You’d need to take into consideration how many people live in your home, how many go to college, the value of assets that you and your parents may own, the amount of money that you and your parents have in the bank, the amount of state and federal taxes that each of you have paid, and a whole host of other things. Every question on the FAFSA form is relevant to the determination of how much financial aid you may receive.

If it were as easy as you’re imagining, the FAFSA would be a one question application – "How much money do you make?"

Spend some time with this booklet from the US Department of Education – it’s called "Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid". If you’d rather not read it online, you can pick up a copy at any high school guidance office.

When you’re finished with that, try the Department’s great FAFSA 4Caster – a simplified FAFSA-like questionnaire that will help you estimate how much financial aid you might qualify for.

I’ve provided links to both below. I hope these help you find what you’re looking for. Good luck!