Maximizing Your Financial Aid: Tips and Resources

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Maximizing Financial Aid
Unlock the secrets to maximizing financial aid for education. Get expert tips and essential resources to boost your funds.

About 72 percent of undergraduates received some type of financial aid in the 2019-20 school year, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. Most families should assume aid is worth pursuing.

File the FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the gateway to federal grants, loans, and work-study. Many states and schools use it for their own aid too. The form now uses the Student Aid Index, which replaced the Expected Family Contribution starting with the 2024-25 award year. Read what the FAFSA is before you start.

File early. Some aid runs out. Deadlines vary by state and school, so check both. Submitting as soon as the form opens puts you first in line for aid awarded in order of application.

Report income carefully. The FAFSA asks for tax information from an earlier year. Read each question before answering. Errors can cut your aid or delay it. Use the IRS data transfer when it is offered.

Compare offers, not sticker prices. Two schools can look the same on paper and differ by thousands after aid. Ask each school for a full breakdown of grants, loans, and work-study.

Ask for more. If your finances changed after you filed, or a competing school offered more, contact the aid office. Appeals are a normal part of the process.

Keep looking for scholarships. Employers, local groups, and professional associations all run small awards. Many go unclaimed because students do not apply. Also review financial aid options for online degrees if you study remotely.

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