College Financial Aid Advice

Welcome to College Financial Aid Advice, a website full of information for 2024 and 2025 scholarships, college admission, essays, student loans, and ways to save money at college. A college education is one of the biggest investments you will make for your future, or your child’s future. How will YOU pay for college?

Getting Started

Congratulations! You are thinking about college, and how to pay for it. We can give you some great advice.

There are many options for attending college, including community college, 4-year state university, and private universities. Which is the best choice for you? It depends. All of them have pros and cons, and it can depend on your major, your financial situation, your grades and test score, your personal preferences, and yes – what type of financial aid you receive.

To get started, check out some ideas on which college is right for you. There are also alternatives to college to consider.

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College Admissions and Essays

Your financial aid need depends on which college you will attend, so you will want to read our college admission help for the steps on getting admitted to your dream school. An outstanding college essay is required to get into most 4-year colleges and universities, so see our collection of 100 examples of good college essays and best college essays examples.

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Scholarships

We have some great college scholarship lists that are free to browse, and we never request any personal information from you! For some fun reading and scholarship contests, check out our list of easy scholarships.

Scholarships for 2025 - 2026 - It is never too early or too late to work on your scholarship searches. If you are part of the high school class of 2025, you should work on your scholarship and college search now. See our list of scholarships for high school seniors and scholarships for high school juniors.

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College Financial Aid Advice – Financial Aid Applications

The majority of students receive financial aid for college, which can include scholarships, grants, tuition assistance, and loans. To apply for financial aid, you need to complete a financial aid form There are 2 common financial aid forms:

FAFSA, Free Application for Student Aid, is used for most financial aid, including government aid like Pell Grants and subsidized student loans. To apply, you will need your FSA ID and complete your FAFSA application by the deadline for your state. Apply early, as sometimes awards are given until the money runs out. The official 2024 - 2025 FAFSA is available now. The 2025 - 2026 FAFSA release is delayed, and will be available on or before December 1, 2024. 

Another financial aid form is called CSS Profile, which is used by many private colleges and universities. Many of them have large endowment funds, so don't neglect to apply for financial aid from these schools.

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Student Loans

Need a Student Loan? Yes, you may qualify for these college Student Loans. Some loans have low interest rates and both interest and payments are deferred until 6 months after graduation.

Many recent college graduates are finding it difficult to find jobs that pay enough to allow them to pay their student loans. If you are looking for advice about loan deferment, loan forgiveness, or loan consolidation, check out some of our tips.

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Other College Financial Aid Advice

Many parents and grandparents set up college savings plans, to save money for college. You may also be eligible for tax credits, like the American Opportunity Tax Credit. Student jobs and tuition assistance programs can also help pay for college. So… sit back, relax and spend some time to explore all of the college financial aid to help pay for college.

From your friendly team at College Financial Aid Advice.

College Financial Aid Advice offers advice for students needing money for college at colleges and universities in the United States, including the following US states and territories: Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Marianas Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Virgin Islands Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming