Determining Financial Need for your years at college
Students and their parents should complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) as soon as possible after release of the application. The form is available online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, which will redirect visitors to the official FAFSA site at https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa. This site includes a link to the FAFSA4caster, a tool to learn about the financial aid process and to get an early estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.
After students and their parents complete the FAFSA, the government will send you, and the colleges you apply to, your Student Aid Report (SAR). Your SAR explains how much aid you will need to go to college and how much you and your family will be expected to pay.
Other useful web sites
www.princetonreview.com/scholarships-financial-aid.aspx
www.studentaid.ed.gov
www.nysfaaa.org
www.finaid.org
www.questbridge.org
Please note
The website https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/fafsa does NOT charge students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid online; the application is in fact free. The Federal Student Aid program and FAFSA is administered by the U.S. Department of Education.
Scholarship Scam Warning:
Most scholarship programs are legitimate, but some are not. As you conduct your search for scholarships, remember that:
- Legitimate scholarships do not charge a fee to apply.
- They do not call you by phone without you contacting them first or send an unsolicited award letter.
- They never ask for your credit card number, Social Security Number, or other personal financial information.
- They do not offer a guarantee of an award.
- More information about scholarship scams is available at www.finaid.org/scholarships/scams.phtml