Monday 2 January 2012

Is Federal Aid Your Key to an Affordable Education?

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Federal aid may be your ticket to an affordable education

Getting educated is hard enough. Why should paying for it be even harder? There are only so many jobs you can have or hours you can work, and only so much savings you can drain. But did you know you might qualify for federal student aid, regardless of age or how long you've been out of school? That means there's a bunch of grant money or low-interest, fixed-rate loans you could be missing. Here's how to find them:

  • Know if you're eligible. Age is irrelevant for federal student aid. If you have financial need, a high school diploma or GED, are a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible program, you can apply. Visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to see if your program qualifies.
  • Fill out a FAFSA. FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Fill it out as soon as possible. The earlier, the better. It's your gateway to all federal money, including grants and student loans.
  • Understand your options. Federal student aid comes in many forms, from free money like Pell grants to both subsidized and unsubsidized student loans. Grants are best because you don't have to pay them back. Subsidized loans are the next best option because they have lower interest rates than the unsubsidized alternatives. Thankfully, you only have to fill out one FAFSA to apply for all of them.
  • Know how to pay federal loans back for less. The great thing about federal student loans is that they come with more payback options than private alternatives. If you work in public service, do volunteer work with organizations like the Peace Corps, teach or practice medicine in certain communities, or enlist in the military, you may qualify for student loan forgiveness. Or if you have trouble paying your loans back after you graduate, you may qualify for income-based repayment, which could lower your payments and cancel your remaining balance after 25 years.
Did you know?
The worst paying college majors are...

Counseling psychology, school student counseling, early childhood education, and library science. The median earnings for those majors only go as high as $37,000. The median earning for computer science, on the other hand, is $91,000. And petroleum engineering? A whopping $127,000, according to the Wall Street Journal.

From the blog
College costs

A look at how much it costs to earn a college degree: Making Cents of College

Student resource center
Demystifying the FAFSA

We know the Free Application for Federal Student Aid can be somewhat confusing. Fortunately, it doesn't have to be. We break it down for you here.


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