Paying for College

Below are links to some websites that all college-bound students should explore when planning how to fund their education.ACT - Financial Aid Information The ACT website has information regarding the different types of financial aid, how to apply, a dictionary of general terms regarding financial aid, and more. Visit www.ACTstudent.org/finaid for more information.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

The FAFSA is a document that students complete every year that they are enrolled in postsecondary education if they want to receive a portion of the $80 billion dollars that the Federal Student Aid program disburses each year through grants, loans, and work study. Additionally, most colleges and universities use the results of the FAFSA to determine the amount of financial aid that they award to their students. The application can be completed on paper or online. Visit www.FAFSA.ed.gov for more information.

FAFSA PIN

A FAFSA PIN allows students to complete the FAFSA online each year that they are enrolled in postsecondary education. The PIN serves as an electronic signature and provides access to your personal information. On the website, students and parents can apply for a PIN, change a PIN,  update personal information, and more. Visit www.PIN.ed.gov for more information.

Fastweb.com

GAcollege411 - Pay for College

GAcollege411 is an online resource for students and parents applying for postsecondary education in the state of Georgia. The website lists contact information for Georgia colleges and universities, information regarding the Hope Scholarship, links to the FAFSA and other financial aid websites, and much more. Visit www.GAcollege411.org/finaid for more information.

The CollegeBoard website offers information regarding different types of loans, a scholarship search service, a financial aid calculator, and more. Visit www.CollegeBoard.com and click on the Pay for College link in For Students for more information.

Scholarships.com

Scholarships.com is a complete source of college and national scholarship information. This website matches its members with scholarships based on their academic interests and talents. Additionally, the website is updated regularly with new scholarships. Visit www.scholarships.com for more information.

*When applying for financial aid, remember to differentiate between need-based and merit-based awards. Need-based awards are determined by your family income in comparison to the cost of your education. Merit-based awards are given for achievement in some area or fitting some criterion other than income.