• Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • College Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid for College
    • Student Financial Aid Eligibility
    • Student Financial Aid
      • Student Loans for College
      • College Financial Aid 101
      • Need Based Student Loans
      • Financial Aid Forms (FAFSA & College Board’s Profile)
      • Military Student Financial Aid
        • College Benefits for Active Duty Military
        • National Guard Education Benefits
        • College Aid for Military Reservists
        • College Aid for Military Veterans
        • Military Dependent Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid Programs
    • Paying for College
  • Scholarships 101
    • College Scholarships (Overview)
    • College Scholarship Applications
    • College Scholarship Essay Writing Tips
    • Unusual Scholarships
    • Unclaimed Scholarships
    • Free College Scholarship Searches
  • Find a Scholarship
    • Latest Scholarship Postings
    • Student Scholarships by College Major
    • Scholarships for Hobbies and Interests
    • Sports Scholarships
    • Community Service Scholarships
    • Association Sponsored Scholarships
  • Find a Student Loan
    • Private Student Loans
      • Sallie Mae Student Loans
      • PNC Student Loans
      • Charter One Student Loan
      • Wells Fargo College Loan Programs
      • Texas Dow Employees Credit Union Loans
      • SunTrust Education Loans
    • How Do Student Loans Work?
    • Types of Private Student Loans
    • Student Loans to Cover Living Expenses
    • Private Student Loan Interest Rates
    • Graduate Student Loans from Private Lenders
  • Saving for College
  • Site Map

Financial Aid Finder

Your Guide to Maximizing your College Financial Aid

Financial Aid Finder HomePage
You are here: Home / College Financial Aid

College Financial Aid

Applying for college financial aid can be a confusing and intimidating process. That’s why we started Financial Aid Finder: To help you navigate the process and make the most of your educational opportunities.

Your key to the treasure chest of financial aid – both federal and state (as well as many private sources) – is the FAFSA. That’s the Free Application for Federal Student Aid and we’ve got the low-down on when, how and where to fill yours out. The info you give will be used to determine your financial aid eligibility – AKA the degree of your financial need relative to the cost of attending college your particular school.

Sallie Mae Student Loans Ad
Male College Student Poses for Picture

 

Did you know that the biggest provider of financial aid in the United States is the federal government? Washington funds more than two-thirds of all financial aid award packages to the tune of $94 billion a year. That assistance comes in a few different forms, including:

  • Federally-backed, fixed-interest rate loans, like Stafford Loans and Perkins Loans for students and PLUS Loans for parents
  • Federal student grants, like the Pell Grant, the Academic Competitiveness Grant, and the National SMART Grant, all of which are available to low-income students.
  • Work-study programs that let you earn money for college costs from on-campus jobs
  • Military Student Aid like Tuition Assistance (TA) and the Montgomery GI Bill, which is earmarked for the US Armed Forces, including active-duty soldiers, members of the national guard, veterans, reservists and their family members

Maybe you already know that the federal package isn’t going to fully cover your college costs. Then you’ll want to check out our trove of grants sources for women, African American and Latino students, and students with disabilities.

Looking to cut costs, increase your aid package or earn more money? All of these are great strategies for making college more affordable and we’ll walk you through them, step by step.

And finally, even if the start of your higher education is still a few years off, you probably already know that college costs are rising rapidly and the time to save is now. To help you sort it all out, the Financial Aid Finder wrote the 411 on 529 Plans, including College Savings and Prepaid Tuition.

LEARN MORE: Financial Aid for College >>>

Sallie Mae Student Loans Ad

Primary Sidebar

FinancialAidFinder Logo
Sallie Mae Student Loans Ad

Latest Scholarship Postings

HCCP Mentoring Program Scholarship (Deadline: October 8, 2025)

June 22, 2025 By The FinancialAidFinder Scholarship Team

2026 Wolf Gustaveson Memorial Scholarship (Deadline: March 21, 2026)

June 22, 2025 By The FinancialAidFinder Scholarship Team

2026 Wolf Gustaveson Memorial Scholarship at Maine East (Deadline: March 21, 2026)

June 22, 2025 By The FinancialAidFinder Scholarship Team

SGA E-Sports Scholarship (Deadline: July 31, 2025)

June 20, 2025 By The FinancialAidFinder Scholarship Team

More Scholarship Listings

Sallie Mae Student Loans Ad

Explore Financial Aid Finder

  • College Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid for College
    • Student Financial Aid Eligibility
    • Student Financial Aid
    • Financial Aid Programs
    • Paying for College
  • Saving for College
  • Military Financial Aid
  • Grants for College
  • Student Scholarships
  • Student Scholarship Search
  • Find Student Loans
  • Financial Aid Info
  • Register to Receive College Financial Aid Updates
  • About FinancialAidFinder
  • Contact Us

Tags

529 plans applying for scholarships college college financial aid college savings plan college savings plans college scholarship college scholarships college student loans college tuition community college debt distance learning education engineering scholarship essay scholarships expected family contribution FAFSA federal student loans financial aid financial aid application financial aid eligibility free money for college GI Bill grant Grants hispanic scholarships minority scholarships Pell Grant Pell Grants private student loans reduce cost of college saving for college scholarship scholarship applications scholarship essays Scholarships scholarships for college student financial aid student loan student loan consolidation student loan debt Student Loans Info tuition work study

Footer

About FinancialAidFinder
Contact Us
Privacy Policy
Cookie Policy

Scholarship Submissions

If you offer a college scholarship, you can submit it to us through this form:

Scholarship Submission Form

Copyright © 2025 · FinancialAidFinder - All rights reserved.