how did u get financial aid when u first attend college?
822386
...The guidance counselor at eh school you currently attend should have info...
399175
yes - FAFSA and fastweb are two good sources.\n\nwww.fafsa.ed.gov and www.fastweb.com\n\nThe college or university you plan on attending will also offer scholarships but they have deadlines - apply asap\n\nEven though the applications appear to be complicated the really are not - so don't pay anyone to do it for you
1066485
From my personal experience, financial aid is absolutely pitiful for the middle class but exceptional if you are poor.\n\nWhen I started college, my family income was a little over the national average, and as a result the financial aid package I received was very short on grants (aka free money) and heavy on loans (aka money you have to pay back).\n\nDuring my first year, my dad became very ill and could no longer work.  Our family income went from average to next to nothing.  However, my subsequent financial aid packages became very generous, with the majority of my expenses covered with grants.  I ended up graduating with $10,000 in student loans, which is pretty low.  I could defer payment of all of my loans until after I graduated.\n\nSo if your school operates anything like mine, the less money you have, the more money the school will help you out with.  In my case, I was very pleased with my school's financial aid situation as I could not have finished my studies otherwise.
510532
Apply for financial aid is a good start.\n    1. In the application, write a good essay.\n    2. They won't give you a good scholarship unless you need one. So you better be poor or middle income.\n    3. You will also need your parent's salary records, your savings account details and all that financial banking stuff.\n    4. A good High school transcript. from 3.5 to 4.0 GPA for most colleges. \n    5. Interesting and unusual extra activities.\n\nAnd check the additional information on your college's website. The ones I gave are popular ones.\n\nPlus if you are applying for a top college like Harvard, Princeton, MIT ect. you will have a good chance of getting it. Those college have a big budget for financial aid. It's the more poor colleges that have an intense competition for the money.
1065214
The best way to pay for college, in order of best to worst:\n1) Scholarships\n2) Dad's bank! (You lucky student!)\n3) Grants and student loans...ask your school...they usually have loan counselors who figure this stuff out for free for you!\n4) If you can't get a student loan for some reason, i.e. the school isn't recognized by government, or it is a trade school that won't qualify for those loans or you can't get government money for, then, almost always a payment plan is cheaper than getting all your money up front and paying for the school all at once, especially since you can't totally control finishing the program or curriculum.   Have your Dad or someone who knows how to figure your total cost for the loan, including all fees, for both scenarios, (through getting a loan or by the school allowing you a monthly plan)  and then chose the one that is either cheapest, has easiest terms for you to afford paying  or both.\n5) Lastly....try not to get in over your head from the very beginning....heaviest loans should be left for your last year of school.....right before you graduate.  That way, as soon as you get a job you can start paying it back without having a lot of interest accrued yet. \nHEY....Good Luck!
1159514
My parents didn't help me. first i went to a junior college and financial aid paid for some of it, i got a job at the school but mostly i borrowed money- loans. Now i go to a community college and it's about 2,200 per semester plus about 400 for books, lucky me financial aid and tap pays for it. Maybe it's too late to apply for a scholarship but not for grants, try getting your GPA up and try to get a scholarship for the next semester. Or get a job to help you out. But one thing is for sure, education is important and you can always pay you're loans back after you graduate and if you don't find a job after wards they will defer (meaning you don't have to pay it) until you get a job. So i say, go to school.
196379
Take the SAT or ACT and score high.  Then submit your high score to colleges, and they will offer money to get you.  Meantime, go to the FAFSA website and fill out the information for financial aid, because even if you don't qualify, colleges often want you to apply anyway before they give scholarships out.  To do the FAFSA, if you are a dependent of your parents or under 21, you will need their tax information.\n\nA score of 28-30 on the ACT will get you a lot of money (top score is 36, which will probably get you full scholarships somewhere).
854528
Financial aid is the whole package the school offers you--scholarships, loans, grants, work study opportunities, etc.  You have the opportunity to accept or reject the different parts of it (like accepting grants and rejecting loans if you can do that!).  Scholarships are basically free money given to you either by the school or by an outside organization (you are a candidate for some just by applying to the school; others you have to apply for separately--check out fastweb for lots of scholarships!).  Some scholarships have strings attached (like you have to maintain a certain GPA or keep a specific major) but some they just give you.  Some last your whole time at school, but some are one-time deals.  Hope that helps!
206499
The government funds the Pell grant. You need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Finanical Aid. They will also approve you for low intrest rate loans that you don't have to repay until you graduate.
335793
Not many people are deny for financial aid. You should be ok, the problem that many people have with getting financial aid is when they or their parents have a lot of savings in the bank. When my friends and I were going through filling out FAFSA forms, my friend's parents didn't make a lot of money but they had no mortgage just every day bills and they didn't spend a lot so it went into their savings one of my friends parents had over $85,000 in their savings. She didn't get any financial aid can you understand why? $85,000 11 years paid for college 2 times over.
453996
To apply for federal aid fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov  \nSome states use this as their state aid application as well.\n\nYou can also apply for scholarships at free online search engines such as\nwww.fastweb.com\nwww.scholarships.com\n(this will at least get you started) \n\nYou should also contact the financial aid office or check your schools website to see if they have any scholarships or need-based grants available.
863528
Get yourass in school. By going to college you can receive financial aid grants and take out low interest loans to support yourself during your time at school. Then you will have better opportunities to choose from.
736791
Once the school gets your FAFSA..they will send you a financial aid award letter. At most schools, if you qualify for a pell..they will offer that and less of a loan to you.
594449
I went to college with no financial assistance from grants/loans or my family.  Started at a 2-year community college, working full-time and taking classes at night.  Transferred to a full university, still working full time and squeezing in classes in the morning/evening, doing homework in the middle of the night, and not getting much sleep.  It took me 6 years to get my first degree that way, but I made it.  Went on to get 2 graduate degrees, all while working full time.\n\nYou don't need a full ride or tons of money to get a college education -- you just need desire and willpower (and a lot of caffeine!). :)
796287
You must go to college first.\n\nNo they do not supply you with them.
454442
I got student loans through my school. First I applied for financial aid through FAFSA and then I gave them my school info. Then on my schools' website there is a place that talks about financial aid and I clicked the link and it told me places/banks/financial institutions that loan money. All I did was fill out the Master Promissary Note and Whola!!! I have money for school. All I had to do was send some verification to my financial aid (W-2's for my husband and I and a copy of our tax return) and I was ready to go.\n\nYou can also look for scholarships at www.fastwebs.com
269045
Your first step is to contact the financial aid office at the college or university you want to attend.  That office is your gateway to need-based grants, scholarships, work-study and loans.  Ask for information on applying for financial aid and any deadlines that you have to meet.  Then follow through with their directions ASAP.  Your should also contact the scholarship office on campus for information on merit-based  scholarships (those awarded to students with good grades; and endowed scholarships (those financed by alumni or local corporations).  Once you've done this, you can start looking at alternative sources of funding.  Private/corporate scholarships and grants are indexed in a variety of places (on-line and in books at your local public library).  You might also check with your or your parents' employer  to see if there are any scholarships available.  Also  check with your church, synagogue or diocese; local fraternal organization (Lion's Club, Shriner's, Optimist's, Rotary Club); and if you belong to a youth group (boy scouts, girl scouts, etc.) or athletic team, check with the sponsor to see if scholarships are available.