Figuring out how to pay for college can be daunting. Fortunately, Strategies for Maximizing Your College Financial Aid provides much-needed expert advice for understanding the financial aid process, managing student loans, and getting the most money for college. In this succinct guide, financial aid consultant Kal Chany and the experts at the Princeton Review present a concise but comprehensive overview of college financial aid. Inside, you’ll find guidance to demystify the aid process, and information that will help you: · debunk financial aid myths · figure out financial aid terminology · evaluate financial aid packages and awards · understand grants, scholarships, student loans, work-study, and other forms of aid · fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), CSS/PROFILE, and other financial aid forms · choose a college with financial aid in mind · get started on saving for school

This guide provides a description of Federal Student Aid programs and the application process. Readers will find information on federal student aid as a source for funding postsecondary education, and know where to go for more detailed information. Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid speaks to high school students, college students, adults, and parents interested in finding out about financial aid from the federal government to help pay for education expenses at an eligible college, technical school, vocational school, or graduate school.

Every year, more than 20 million students and parents file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the gateway to federal, state and school financial aid. Families often worry about making costly mistakes, but this step-by-step guide provides expert advice and insights to: · Maximize eligibility for student aid · Avoid common errors · Complete the form quickly, easily and accurately Praise for Filing the FAFSA: I found Filing the FAFSA to be an up-to-the-minute, accessible and readable resource for those with a keen interest in the current federal application for student financial aid. –Nancy Coolidge, Office of the President, University of California Families need a guide that breaks down the application form into logical sections. Filing the FAFSA is an important tool in removing some of the mystery surrounding the financial aid process. –Verna Hazen, Assistant Vice President and Director, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Rochester Institute of Technology With the plethora of information on the subject of completing college financial applications, it’s reassuring to find a guide that students, parents and even guidance counselors can look to for useful and accurate information. –Carlos Adrian, Associate Director, Financial Aid Compliance, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs, Syracuse University As a long-time financial aid professional, I am always looking for helpful tools to assist families in understanding the sometimes overwhelming process of applying for student financial aid for college. Filing the FAFSA is a tool that successfully combines the presentation of detailed information with easy to follow flow charts and summary boxes to guide families through the application process. It is filled with helpful hints and is a valuable resource for families navigating the complicated world of financial aid. –Diane Stemper, Executive Director, Office of Enrollment Services, Student Financial Aid, Ohio State University

One of the most difficult times in a high school student's life is trying to decide about the future. A big part of that is money concerns, including how students pay for college when tuition is constantly on the rise. The basics, like the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, to the more complicated, like seeking out those hard-to-find scholarship options—readers will find all the information they need for a good balance.

College financial aid is not like negotiating with a car dealership, where bluff and bluster will get you a bigger, better deal. Appealing for more financial aid depends on presenting the college financial aid office with adequate documentation of special circumstances that affect the family's ability to pay for college.This book provides a guide for students and their families on how to appeal for more financial aid for college and how to improve the likelihood of a successful appeal. This book also discusses techniques for increasing eligibility for need-based financial aid and merit aid.The topics covered by this book include corrections, updates, special circumstances, writing an effective financial aid appeal letter, adequate documentation, professional judgment adjustments, unusual circumstances, dependency overrides and the differences between the FAFSA and CSS Profile forms.