Financial Aid - FAQ
If you think you will need help paying for your college expenses, you should apply 通过填写联邦学生援助免费申请(FAFSA). You will often find FAFSAs at local high schools, colleges or libraries, or you can apply electronically using FAFSA on the Web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
决定援助资格的计算是复杂的. There is no easy, straight forward "income cut-off" or other method to help you anticipate whether you'll 要有资格——唯一确定的方法就是申请. If your family circumstances change, the financial aid office is in a better position to help if your application is already on file.
以下是就读不同学校的费用估算. These figures include tuition and fees for nine months and an estimate for room and board, transportation, 书籍及用品及个人杂项开支. 调整生活费用 对那些和父母住在一起的学生来说.
| 公共社区/技术学院 | $17,316 |
| 公立四年制学院/大学 | $22,227 |
| 公立四年制研究型大学 | $26,066 |
| 独立四年制学院/大学 | $46,730 |
| Private Vocational Schools | 费用各不相同，请联系各个学校 |
标准分析用于确定财务需求. The amount your family is expected to contribute (the Student Aid Index, or SAI) is calculated based upon the 你的FAFSA报告的信息. 然后从教育成本中减去SAI 在你申请的学校. 两者之间的区别是你的需求 for financial assistance.
你可以使用网上计算器预先估计你的SAI http://studentaid.gov/aid-estimator/.
Contact the financial aid office of each school you are considering attending as soon 并询问他们的申请程序和截止日期. Provide all information 在学校规定的截止日期前填好表格. 如果你的申请迟交或不完整， you may not be considered for all the aid programs available or you may not receive 你的援助及时赶上了交学费的截止日期. 不要等着被录取——去见 deadlines even if you don't plan to attend until winter or spring because many schools' 截止日期适用于全年，而不仅仅是秋季.
Start by completing a FAFSA on studentaid.gov. If you prefer not to complete your FAFSA online, you must call the federal processor and ask to have a paper FAFSA mailed to your home (800-4FEDAID) or you can print one from the FAFSA website.
Not necessarily. 许多学校早在他们能赚钱之前就开始录取了 aid awards. 向每所学校查询他们的“注册费”退款政策。 如果学校不能提供足够的帮助你参加.
It is a good idea to have completed the federal tax return before completing the FAFSA since the application will require consent to retrieve exact tax information directly from the IRS. 如果这不能及时完成，您将满足优先申请 date at the school(s) in which you are interested, contact your school’s financial 帮助办公室了解你应该如何提交信息.
Keep a file with copies of all application materials for each year including a U.S. income tax return and W-2s in the event you need to provide a copy to your school.
Yes. Students under 24 years of age are considered dependent on their parents by federal law no matter where they live (there are limited exceptions -- please note them in the FAFSA instructions). 如果你的父母没有在你的 申请，你可能不会被考虑资助. 如果你有特殊情况 which make it impossible for your parents to complete the FAFSA, contact the school’s 并与他们讨论.
If your parents are divorced, separated, or never married, and don’t live together, the parent who provided more financial support during the last 12 months is the contributor 并且必须提供他们的信息. 如果父母双方提供的金额完全相等 of financial support or if they don’t support you financially, the parent with the greater income or assets is the contributor 并且必须提供他们的信息.
与你将要就读的学校的经济援助办公室联系. They can determine 如果变更会影响你获得援助的资格. Letters of explanation should not be sent with your FAFSA, as it will only delay processing and will be destroyed.
After you complete your FAFSA, you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR). This document may give you some guidance about expected contribution toward college cost, but it is not the final word. 等着学校经济援助办公室的消息吧 or college where you've applied; they make the final determination of your eligibility for assistance. 你可以询问学校预计什么时候会发出奖励通知 五月由早春至仲夏。.
你可能会被要求提供文件以核实申请表上的任何项目. Colleges are required to collect Tax Transcripts (or a signed 1040 form) to verify a student and parent's information. 确保你和你的父母保留一份你的 填妥的联邦纳税申报表和用于完成申请的w -2表格. The college 我会通知你需要哪些文件.
There are four basic kinds of aid: scholarships, grants, loans and work study programs. Most students naturally prefer scholarship and grant programs because they do not have to be repaid, but there is not enough of this "gift" aid to meet the need of all students eligible for aid. 通常，礼物援助是通过贷款和/或工作提供的 研究基金通常被称为“自助”援助.
你的第一个联系人应该是你的高中辅导员. Local organizations typically 与高中合作颁发奖学金. 许多学院和大学都提供 scholarships. 由录取或财政援助办公室提供的材料将包括 这些信息或者你可以访问他们的网站. 也有一些国家级的 奖学金搜索服务. 这些服务大部分都已提供 for free. If you choose to pay for these services, be cautious and confirm the organizations are legitimate before paying.
Scholarships usually represent only a small portion of the total funds available for financial aid, so even if you don't qualify for a scholarship, you may be offered other aid. If you expect to receive a scholarship from an outside source, it is important 通知助学金办公室.
A loan is financial aid and your eligibility is established with the information on the FAFSA. 经济援助办公室是最好的信息来源 除了其他援助之外，你还有资格申请贷款. There may be an additional 申请流程和单独的申请表格. 欲了解更多信息，请联系您的 school’s financial aid office.
许多学生每周工作10到15个小时. Surveys have shown the students who work do as well, often better, in their classes than students who don't -- perhaps the obligation of having a job requires them to budget their time more carefully. Work study programs have three main advantages: (1) it helps you keep your loan debt down, since often the alternative to work is taking a loan, (2) it gives you a chance to get work experience which will help you find a job when you get out of school, (3)勤工俭学的收入在未来的援助申请中被抵消.
Correspondence should not be sent with your FAFSA, as it will only delay processing and will be destroyed. Correspondence that explains your family’s special circumstances should be sent to the college you plan to attend.