PayingEveryone
How the FAFSA works, from start to finish
What happens between opening the form and getting an offer from a school.
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Twenty-four short articles. Pick a topic to narrow the list, or read them in any order.
PayingEveryone
Grants, loans and work-study, told apart
Three kinds of aid that can sit on one offer letter, and how differently they behave.
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PayingEveryone
Reading an aid offer line by line
Where the real cost sits on the letter, and the questions to ask the aid office.
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PayingEveryone
Aid from your state and your school
The money that is not federal, and the separate rules and dates that come with it.
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PayingEveryone
Looking for scholarships without getting scammed
Where real scholarships are listed, and the signs that an offer is not one.
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PayingEveryone
When the aid does not cover the bill
Options to work through, in order, before taking on expensive debt.
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FormsEveryone
Setting up an FSA ID
The account you sign the FAFSA with, and why nobody else should ever use it.
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FormsEveryone
Who counts as a contributor on the FAFSA
Which parent, which spouse, and what each person is asked to do.
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FormsEveryone
Federal, state and school: three kinds of deadline
Why the date on studentaid.gov is usually not the one to aim for.
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FormsEveryone
When the school asks you to verify
What a verification request means, and how to answer it quickly.
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FormsEveryone
The CSS Profile, and who asks for it
A second aid form some private colleges use for their own money.
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FormsEveryone
Applying again every year
The FAFSA is yearly, and keeping aid depends on more than filing on time.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Checking a school’s accreditation
A five-minute check that decides whether aid, credits and licenses will follow.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Comparing what a program really costs
Net price calculators, College Scorecard, and the cost of extra semesters.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Starting at a community college
How to make the first two years count toward a bachelor’s degree.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Questions to ask an online program
Six checks before enrolling in a degree you will study from home.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Certificates and short programs
Training that takes months rather than years, and how to judge it.
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ChoosingBefore you enroll
Moving credits between schools
How a new school decides which of your classes it will count.
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Next degreeReturning students
Going back to college after a break
Transcripts, old holds, and picking up aid where you left it.
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Next degreeReturning students
Paying for graduate school
How aid changes after a bachelor’s degree, and where else the money comes from.
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Next degreeReturning students
Studying while you work
Employer tuition help, part-time aid, and how your paycheck shows up on the FAFSA.
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Next degreeReturning students
Getting credit for what you already know
Exams, military training and work experience that can count toward a degree.
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Next degreeReturning students
Old student loans and going back
What to sort out with loans you already have before you enroll again.
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Next degreeReturning students
Studying with children at home
How being a parent changes the FAFSA, and where childcare help can come from.
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