work study program

Preparing for college can seem overwhelming. We not only worry how we’ll afford it, but we’re not sure where we want to go, what we want to study, what paperwork we need to fill out or who we need to talk to.  Things may become even more intimidating if we’re adults that have been out of school for a long time.

Thankfully, along with providing student aid, our federal government has put together a lot of resources to help us reach our educational goals. Below are college preparation checklists from the Federal Student Aid program that will help you prepare for college no matter what stage of life you’re at.

General

• Introduction
• Getting a Late Start? (Must Do List)
• Adult Students

Pre-High School

• Elementary School
• Junior High or Middle School

High School

• 9th Grade
• 10th Grade
• 11th Grade
• 12th Grade

Money for College

• What is Federal Student Aid?
• FAFSA4caster^SM: Early Aid Estimator

Whether for ourselves or our children, how to pay for college is a common question that many of us have. Thankfully there are multiple options. Our federal government funds the largest source of student aid in the United States in the form of grants, loans and work-study programs which are all primarily needs based.

Three most common types of student aid:

• Grants: With grants, repayment is not required and they are given out based on need, enrollment and tuition.
• Loans: Student Loans are financial aid that is borrowed. They accrue interest and must be repaid. Student loans are available to students or parents to pay for their dependent children’s education (typically undergraduate only).
• Work-Study Programs: Work-study programs allow students to work in exchange for education funding while enrolled.

Visit the Federal Student Aid website for information about eligibility, how to apply, and more.

• What is Federal Student Aid?
• FAFSA4caster^SM: Early Aid Estimator
• More Sources of Student Aid