“How will I pay for college?” That’s a question everyone considering higher education is asking. Investigating your financial aid options can seem overwhelming, especially if no one in your family has ever gone to college.
Here are a few great resources to help you discover some options available to assist you.
- The FAFSA. The first step in applying for most types of federal and state financial aid is completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, as soon as it’s available! Students who will be attending college during the 2022-23 school year should complete the FAFSA at FAFSA.gov as soon as it becomes available on Oct. 1.
- Your high school counselor. Counselors love talking about college—college preparation, choosing a college and finding financial aid options. Make an appointment with your counselor soon!
- The financial aid office at your college(s) of interest. Each college, technology center and career school are different. Be sure to speak with someone in the Financial Aid office at each institution you’re considering to learn which types of aid you may be able to receive at their school.
- Internet resources.
- Visit UCanGo2.org and OKcollegestart.org, where you’ll find tons of information about planning, preparing and paying for college.
- Don’t forget to read Are You Looking for Money? to find federal and state financial aid information as well as our Scholarship Success Guide.
- StudentAid.gov is a tremendous resource offered by the U.S. Department of Education. Be sure to investigate Types of Aid and the FAFSA Process: Applying for Aid pages while you’re there.
- Free money. Scholarships are an important resource to help you pay for college expenses. There are many scholarship search websites that allow students to set up a profile that will match them with various programs they may qualify for. Many scholarships are also available to students as young as elementary school so start your search now! These websites offer helpful information: