How do I compare the costs of different colleges?

You've completed your Institutional Aid forms or the FAFSA! WOOOOHOOOO

You've been accepted! Congratulations! 

Your colleges have offered you some Grant $$$! Way to go! 

You are working on Institutional Scholarships! Nice effort! 

• But how much is it going to cost?! 
• Which school is the best fit (financial and otherwise)?
• How do you know?! 

I'm sure you are working on your Institutional Scholarship applications and this will increase the aid you'll get from your colleges. But you can get a head start on figure out the COST OF COLLEGE to you with this tool from College Board. Click on the link begin comparing the cost of up to 4 colleges. Enter your Pell Grant (FAFSA $$$) amount as Gift Aid because you do NOT have to pay it back.

Remember to SAVE the info by following the steps when you click Save Info at the bottom of the page!

Let your Post-Secondary Success Navigator know what your results are!

What types of Financial Aid are there?

Hey Seniors! We've talked a lot about the FAFSA and the federal Pell Grant, loans and work-study programs available with FAFSA completion. But there are OTHER options too! We've talked about Institutional Aid- money that is awarded to you by your school of choice. This can be need based, merit based and/or based on your chosen major/course of study. Get in touch with your College or University's Financial Aid Office and see what they offer! You may be able to search for Scholarships via their webpage too.

When should you be applying for Scholarships?

NOW! Even if you are a Junior or underclassmen...

There are scholarships for just Freshman. Now is the time especially if you are a Senior. Consider it your homework. Seniors, you should be spending a few hours a week researching scholarships, deciding which ones to apply for and then ACTUALLY APPLYING! As you near adulthood, this is a great test of your preparedness. No one can do it for you! Go get that $$$! 

Remember to look carefully at your scholarship options and avoid SCAMS!

Here are links to some of the Federal Grants:

• Federal Pell Grants  
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)  
• Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grants  
• Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants  

Here's a great resource for SEARCHING for Scholarships! 

https://www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/training/find-scholarships.aspx

Here are some ideas about other places to look for/ask about scholarships:

• your library’s reference section
• foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses, or civic groups
• organizations (including professional associations) related to your field(s) of interest
• ethnicity-based organizations
• your employer or your parents’ employers