Need-Based Financial Aid

 

Need-based financial aid is determined from a federal formula and is primarily based on what a family can reasonably be expected to contribute to their child's college education. Using the family's contribution, the college will come up with a financial aid package which can be made up of grants, work-study, loans, and scholarships.

 

While some colleges require institutional financial aid forms, all schools will require the submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA gives you access to federal loans and college work-study, and this form is used as the primary financial aid form for most colleges. This form is processed without a fee and is available on October 1st.

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The CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE is a supplemental aid application required by many institutions in addition to their own form and/or the FAFSA. The College Scholarship Service of the College Board administers the Profile; students must pay a registration fee as well as a processing fee for each college aid application. The Profile should be filled out early in the application cycle and in accordance with the colleges' financial aid application requirements.

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All colleges are required to provide a Net Price Calculator on their website. This tool will allow you to discover what the estimated cost of the college might be for you and your family. For more information on Net Price Calculators, visit the U. S. Department of Educations' Net Price Calculator webiste, https://collegecost.ed.gov/netpricecenter.aspx.

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Need-based Financial Aid websites:

https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa (FAFSA online)

https://financialaidtoolkit.ed.gov/tk/ (FAFSA Toolkit)

http://www.collegeboard.org/ (CSS Profile)

https://www.debt.org/students/financial-aid-process.