Counseling Center

Financial Aid

Paying for college can and is often the hardest part of the college process. Most students need some sort of financial aid to help them offset the cost of college. Below you will find links to numerous scholarship search engines. As there are valid scholarships available for students, there are scholarships being offered that are fraudulent. Please visit the Federal Trade Commission website to learn how to tell the difference between real scholarships and scholarship scams.
 
Financial Aid
  • FAFSA - All schools that administer federal money, and almost all of them do, require that you file a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you apply for financial aid. You can complete the FAFSA online or in paper form. 
  • FAFSA application - Students seeking out federal aid to pay for college must fill out a Free Application For Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The information provided on the form determines the student's eligibility for financial aid. You can print a non-submittable FAFSA form to review application questions, familiarize your parents with the required information, and remind you of all the documents you'll need to fill out online college applications. En Espanol: Elija este vinculo para descargar o mostrar en la pantalla una Hoja de Trabajo de Solicitud Preliminar no remitible de la solicitud FAFSA en la Web en Espanol para el ano 2004-2005 en formato PDF. 
  • FastWEB - FastWEB is generally considered to be the best free college scholarship search on the Internet. 
  • FinAid.org  - FinAid is a web site managed in connection with FastWEB. It provides a comprehensive, annotated collection of information about financial aid, including information about loans, scholarships and tips on how to complete financial aid forms. FinAid.org also provides a handy Estimated Family Contribution calculator. 
  • National Assoc. of Student Financial Aid Administrators
  • New York 529 Savings Plans - One of the more interesting developments in college savings strategies over the past few years has been the introduction of 529 savings plans. This web site provides information to help families understand the nature of 529 plans and to decide whether such a plan is for them. Remember, however, that saving for college is merely one part of a family's overall financial planning strategy. 
  • NY State Tuition Assistance Program
  • PROFILE - Many private colleges require applicants for financial aid to submit the College Scholarship Service (CSS) PROFILE. This form can be completed online at The College Board web site. 
Scholarship Search Engines