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15 Questions to Ask Your Financial Aid Office
What to ask to get the information you need.
By Carrie Greenberg and Mark Kantrowitz
April 21, 2009
1. What types of financial aid do you offer? What are the requirements for need-based aid and for merit-based aid?
2. How much debt do students have when they graduate? What percentage of students graduate with debt?
3. If I get a work-study job, how many hours will I be required to work per week? Are part-time jobs available to students who don’t qualify for a work-study job?
4. Do you offer a tuition payment plan that lets me pay the college bills in monthly installments over the academic year? If so, what fees do you charge for this service?
5. Does your college practice need-blind admissions? Or will applying for financial aid hurt my chances of being admitted? Do you consider financial need when deciding whether to accept students off of the waiting list?
6. If I don’t apply for financial aid this year, will that affect my eligibility for financial aid in subsequent years?
7. Does your college meet my full demonstrated financial need, or do you practice “gapping”? Will you meet my full financial need for all four years of college?
8. Do you practice front-loading of grants? Or can I expect to receive a similar financial aid package all four years, assuming my financial circumstances do not change by much?
9. If I win a scholarship, do you reduce my financial aid package? If so, does the scholarship replace loans or grants?
10. How do I apply for financial aid? Which application forms are required to apply for financial aid? Does the college require the CSS Financial Aid PROFILE or its own forms in addition the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)?
11. What are the deadlines for applying for financial aid?
12. How does the financial aid application process differ for early admission students?
13. When will I receive my financial aid award letter?
14. If the financial aid is insufficient or my circumstances have changed, how do I appeal for more financial aid?
15. Where can I find information about other sources of financial aid, such as state grant programs and scholarships?
Don’t forget to ask about special circumstances that are specific to your situation, such as divorce/separation or financial aid for study abroad.
See also the ten questions in Fastweb’s Quick Reference Guide to Evaluating Financial Aid Award Letters.
hardydr
11 months ago
Sheila, look this over and take it along to the meeting next week
enternalstudent
over 1 year ago
Fishing chairs
Luacia
over 1 year ago
Very useful tips to ask your financial aid office. It is also worthwhile searching for School Grants from alternative sources because your financial aid offce usually only has information about federal and state based grants.
nertukl
over 1 year ago
Very useful questions. The question number 2 is very interesting. It reflects the whole of our social model. Gordon from mahjong association.
tim619guy
almost 2 years ago
how about the verication of the fasfa they are giving me a hard time
JoshuaM2077
almost 2 years ago
If you guys need scholarship help, go to http://www.how2winscholarships.com. It really helped me learn a cool way to win scholarships. Josh
PerlaM53
about 2 years ago
when completing fafsa it asks about your parents social and income what about if they dont have any of those..and your sister is the only one who works and helps your family ....
dgcronin
about 2 years ago
I attend Kaplan University on-line. Anyone know of any grants available for on-line learners? If I stayed at my local state university I would qualify for grants. I only qualify for a little financial aid but it's very expensive to go to school. Thanks. P.S. I live in Connecticut.
adhdgirl05
about 2 years ago
For the person whose's looking for native american scholarships, here is a whole list of them on the fastweb website.
http://www.fastweb.com/scholarships-directory/by-racial-background/...
If you google "Native American Scholarships" there are alot out there. You have to apply for them.
adrienne1387
about 2 years ago
Good and helpful article, but maybe there should be some links to explain unclear terms (such as CSS FInancial Aid PROFILE) becuase some students may not know what those things are. I'm sure we would all feel much better about asking these questions if we all knew what it is that we are asking.
shortstop12
about 2 years ago
I am a mixed race student black -white and my father is disabled where can I find scholerships or grant aid appreciate any help
mrobeng
over 2 years ago
The only way to get scholarships is to just apply for them. If you can't get one you should take a loan and when you run into difficulties in paying it back, you can always consolidate your student loans. It will reduce your monthly payments and save you some money.
NicoleN621
over 2 years ago
I am a graduate student getting my master's in elementary education in Massachusetts. Does anyone know any scholarships for elementary ed. students? Thanks :-)
DonteM11
over 2 years ago
I am looking for schoalships for native americans....anyone know of any?
SeifuD
over 2 years ago
I AM AN ETHIOPIAN HOW I GET THE FINANCIAL AID FOR EDUCATION? MY CETIZEIN IS NOW ETHIOPIAN I HEAR SOON FROM YOU!