Not sure how to pay for college? How to find financial aid in Arizona – azcentral.com and The Arizona Republic
College is an option many aspire to for the future opportunities it can open. But the cost can make it feel out of reach for many families.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce those expenses through financial aid programs and scholarships designed to make college more accessible. Yet, figuring out where to start looking for financial help can be stressful.
Scholarships and grants are two of the best options because they don’t have to be repaid. Here’s everything that students and their families need to know to apply — and make higher education more affordable.
The FAFSA, short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the federal form you’ll need to fill out if you want to receive government aid to pay for college.
The most popular grants are Federal Pell grants. Pell grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have exceptional financial need and are worth up to $7,395 a year.
However, any student, regardless of income, is encouraged to fill out the FAFSA if they want to be considered for grants, scholarships, work-study funds and loans from either federal, state or school programs.
A student filling out the FAFSA will likely need the following documents and information:
Students who need help or have questions while filling out the FAFSA can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
Students are also encouraged to pay attention to deadlines. Schools often set “priority dates” for financial aid. Submitting the FAFSA form before then gives students a better chance at some of the scholarships that aren’t federal grants. Priority dates vary depending on the school. However, students can still submit their FAFSA form and be considered for federal grants even after the priority deadline.
There are thousands of scholarships and grants available, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office. They are offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups and professional and social organizations.
With so many options available, it is helpful to know which places offer reliable information. The Federal Student Aid office suggests trying these free sources of information about scholarships:
Universities award millions of dollars in what are called “institutional scholarships” each year. These can be need-based scholarships (based on family income) or merit-based scholarships (based on academic or other achievements). A student could even be eligible for a combination of both.
Colleges usually post their scholarship information on their websites.
Arizona’s three state universities and the private Grand Canyon University don’t require the SAT or the ACT test for admission. But some merit scholarships are awarded based on scores on the popular college-entrance exams. Skipping these tests could mean missing out on money.
Here are some programs Arizona students can apply to help pay for college.
Many sites offer national databases of scholarships. Here are some that financial-aid experts recommend.
None of these websites charges a fee to search for scholarships. Students should never pay to find scholarships.
Former Republic reporter Anne Ryman contributed to this article.
