FastWeb: Resources: February is Financial Aid Awareness Month!

February is Financial Aid Awareness Month! In honor of this auspicious occasion and to help you understand all of your financial aid options, we've listed some resources you can use to learn more about financial aid:

FAFSA

Department of Education's FAFSA Site: The official FAFSA site where you can fill out the form online and learn more about how it works.
Common Errors on the FAFSA: A list of common mistakes you should avoid making while filling out your FAFSA (or Renewal FAFSA).
Five Reasons to File Your FAFSA: Our list of five great reasons why it pays for you to fill out the FAFSA.
Five-Minute FAFSA Video: How did the FastWeb team turn the FAFSA into an entertaining five-minute short? Click to find out.
FAFSA is Step One for Financial Aid: Don't know much about the FAFSA? Check out our introduction to the FAFSA to learn more.
How to Read Your SAR: Everyone has information about the FAFSA, but no one explains the Student Aid Report (SAR). Read our page-by-page analysis of the SAR so you can understand what you're getting.
Department of Education's PIN Site: You can't electronically sign and submit your FAFSA if you don't have a PIN. Get all of your PIN questions answered here.
FinAid's FAFSA Page: FinAid has an entire section of its site devoted to FAFSA information and links, including common FAFSA errors and deadlines.

Scholarships

10 Tips for Winning Applications: Looking for help on your scholarship applications? If so, you'll benefit from reading these 10 tips.
Earn Your Scholarship Letter of Recommendation: Next time you think to yourself, "Who should I ask for my recommendation letter?," read this article.
Make Sense of Scholarships: If you're new to the scholarship game, this is a great place to start.
Maximize Your Scholarship Eligibility: Knowing how to "type" yourself is a great way to increase eligibility and expand the number of scholarships you can apply for.
Where to Find Scholarships: Scholarships can be found in a lot of different places, which we list here.
Paint Your Scholarship Portrait: Part of submitting a winning application is developing a theme that's all about you. The better you paint your portrait, the higher your chances can be of winning.

Loans

Guide to Student Loans: Understand the rules behind the different loans that are available.
Student Loan Glossary: Loan terminology can be difficult and often confusing. Our glossary helps simplify things for you.
Basics of Borrowing: We explain how loans work in general.
When Student Loans Aren't Enough: What if you need more money even after loans are factored in?

Calculators

Looking to crunch your own numbers? Check out the following calculators from FastWeb:

Check out additional calculators on FinAid.

General Financial Aid

FinAid: The Web's most-trusted financial aid site.
Financial Aid Resources by State: Not sure what your state offers in aid? Check here.
Department of Education's Guide to Federal Student Aid: Handbooks describing federal government aid programs are available electronically.
City Year: Volunteer during gap year (between high school and college) and get an education award of $4,725.
College Goal Sunday: A program that spreads the word about financial aid, especially to students from lower-income households with no history of going on to college. Check the site to find out if College Goal Sunday offers a program in your state.