Financial Aid
Financial aid usually refers to tuition assistance from the government or an academic institution. This "institutional assistance" is usually paid from a college's endowment foundation, and is usually made possible by donations from previous graduates. Government financial aid usually refers to Pell Grants, Stafford Subsidized loans, and other programs that a student can apply for through filing a FAFSA report.
Financial aid is usually dependent to some extent on the student and/or family's income (depending on the student's age and legal status). Students with lower incomes, fewer assets, and higher tuition bills typically get the most financial assistance from the providing sources. Some schools are "need-blind" in admissions but unfortunately that sometimes means that they will accept students who ultimately cannot afford to attend.
In this section you will find free advice for tuition aid through government and university sources. Find out how to apply, when to apply, and why you should apply even if you're pretty sure you won't qualify for the more well-known programs.
Politics and the College Tuition Problem
Higher education and tuition prices are going up faster than most measures of inflation, and its been this way for years. Will the trend finally reverse, or will the government intervene first?
Obama, Clinton, and McCain on Higher Education
Obama, Clinton, and McCain don’t offer much in the way of higher education funding reform, with the exception of a small tax credit and minor changes in the financial aid application process that have already been proposed in Congress.
Florida Committees Recommend $357 Million in Education Cuts
Committees in the Florida Legislature are considering major education funding cuts during the 2008 session, updates posted here as they develeop
Stanford Joins Yale and Harvard in offering Free College
Stanford’s multi-billion dollar endowment will be used to provide free college to students with annual family incomes under $60,000
Reasons to file a FAFSA - Other than Federal Aid
Whatever the economic reason, not every student is going to qualify for federal grants or subsidized loans - But even if you’re absolutely sure that you can’t get federal help, its still worthwhile to take an hour to file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Yale Planning Financial Aid Changes
Yale’s financial aid changes will allow lower-income students and middle-class students a better chance of affording tuition.
Scholarships, Grants, & More Financial Aid
Examining scholarships, grants, and the many different types of college financial aid available for students.
College Tuition: Too Expensive, or Too Confusing?
Is college tuition too expensive, or just too confusing? We review a few opinions on the web and help students get the best financial aid assistance they can.
Harvard Slashes Tuition: NY Times Complains
Harvard cuts tuition and expands its financial aid assistance, but not everyone is happy about it as secondary effects may spill over into other colleges.
In State, Out of State?
College tuition is expensive out of state - make sure to review your choices and consider local, cheaper schools.
What Not to Do
These are some classic examples of bad ideas students had when it came to paying for college tuition. We don’t recommend the methods described here..
FAFSA
How to quickly file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) online.
Federal and School Financial Aid Might Not Help
Complicated income regulations may mean that your student isn’t eligible for federal financial aid.
Did I mention this time of year is busy?
Fall is a busy time of year for scholarship applications. Apply early and beat the rush.
Start Early!
Its never too early to start planning financial aid and paying for college tuition. Even if you aren’t in high school yet, there may be contests you can enter
Paying for College Ideas
Welcome to Free College Blog! We’ll be exploring different ideas for paying for school. Tuition is rising so financial aid and scholarships are more important than ever