LibGuides: College 101: Paying for College

Federal Student Aid and FAFSA®

FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is an application based on the financial records of parents and usually becomes available October 1. NOTE: The 2025–26 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form will be available to the public on or before Dec. 1, 2024.

How To Prepare for the 2025–26 FAFSA® Form

Prepare now so you can complete the 2025–26 FAFSA form as soon as it’s available on or before Dec. 1, 2024. Here are some ways you can get ready:

Create a StudentAid.gov account (if you don’t already have one).
Learn about the documents you may need to fill out the FAFSA form.
Determine your dependency status and whether your parent(s) or spouse will be required to contribute information on your FAFSA form. If you’re a dependent student, use the Who’s My FAFSA Parent? wizard to identify which parent(s) will be a required contributor on your form.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
Main page for FAFSA, with links to information on; applying for federal student aid, FAFSA deadlines, creating a FAFSA account and login, filling out the FAFSA, avoiding financial aid scams, eligibility for federal student aid, and checking your FAFSA application status.
Avoiding Student Aid Scams
This page offers tips for avoidiing scams on applying for student aid. Remember: you don't have to pay for help with the FAFSA® Form. Several websites offer help filling out the FAFSA® form for a fee. These sites are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Education (ED). The U.S.E.D. urges you not to pay these sites for assistance that you can get for free elsewhere. The official FAFSA form is available from fafsa.gov, and you can get free help from the financial aid office at your college or the college(s) you’re thinking about attending; the FAFSA form’s online help page; and the Federal Student Aid Information Center.
Filling Out the FAFSA® Form
Ready to fill out your FAFSA® form now? Go for it! This page has a How To Fill Out the FAFSA® Form Video, and information on creating an account, gathering the documents needed to apply, getting help if needed,starting your FAFSA® Form and providing your basic personal information, listing colleges and/or career schools, determining your dependency status, reporting parents' information, providing financial information, signing and submitting the FAFSA® Form, and finally, taking the next steps.
Financial Aid Eligibility
An overview of the general eligibility requirements for receiving financial aid, including: that you have financial need, are a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen, and are enrolled in an eligible degree or certificate program at your college or career school.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) Resources

The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) is an independent agency of the United States government that is responsible for consumer protection related to financial transactions. CFPB's jurisdiction includes banks, credit unions, securities firms, payday lenders, mortgage-servicing operations, foreclosure relief services, debt collectors, for-profit colleges, and other financial companies operating in the United States.

Paying for College
Explanations of the ins and outs of student financial aid and repaying loans to help you make smarter decisions about how to pay for school. Included are links to pages with information about creating a plan for student loans and learning about repaying student debt. Presented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Student Loan Portal
A page with links to information pages on getting a student loan, definitions of key terms, common issues in applying for loans, how-to guides and more. Presented by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Student Loan Calculator

This student loan calculator from Credit.org shows your monthly student loan payments and how your loan will amortize (be paid off) over time. First, they calculate the monthly payment, taking into account the loan amount, interest rate, loan term and prepayment. The amortization is calculated by taking the amount you pay toward the principal each month and deducting it from your loan balance.

Student Loan Calculator
Calculate your monthly student loan payments and total interest with this specialized student loan calculator from Credit.org. Understand your repayment plan options and make informed decisions to manage your educational debt effectively.

College Scholarship Resources

Appily - Scholarships
Search for scholarships from colleges, universities, private companies, foundations -- and more -- to help pay for school. Fill out a profile to discover which ones match you best.
CollegeXpress
This site provides college search options and lists that can help students identify and explore colleges by major, location and a variety of other criteria. Easily search for scholarships by keyword, various academic filters, or by a number of different categories, like art, club, disability, family, college major, military, National Merit, race, religion, society, sport, or type.
Fastweb
Fastweb is a free scholarship search platform that connects students to college scholarships, trade school scholarships, and financial aid tools. After signing up for a free account, you'll customize your profile by answering a few questions. Using your unique profile, you'll get a list of scholarships you qualify for based upon your strengths, interests, student activities and skills. Filter through your list, save those you're interested in and start applying for scholarships.

WA Grant - Washington College Grant

Washington College Grant gives more money to more people for more kinds of education and training beyond high school. WCG is not reserved for valedictorians or athletes — it is available to all eligible Washington residents, including undocumented students. If you meet the residency and income requirements, you have money waiting for you.

Washington College Grant
Links to information on the Washington College Grant (WA Grant) program from the Washington Student Achievement Council. WA Grant gives eligible people more money for more types of education like certificate programs, job training, apprenticeships, or college. How does free college or career training sound? WA Grant is one of the most generous financial aid programs in the country. The amount you receive depends on family size, income, and the cost of your school or program.

Resources for Evaluating College Costs

Articles

Award Letter Analyzer
One way students can navigate financial aid award letters from colleges is by using a tool that helps calculate what each school would ultimately cost. This is the cost of attendance for the entire year, as calculated by each school, less any gift aid, scholarships, grants and loans, leading to the estimated bill - the amount you can expect to pay the college directly. To use the calculator, simply make a copy of the spreadsheet (Click "File" and then click "Make a copy."). Provided by College Advising Corps.
How To Calculate The Cost Of College: A Guide To Financial Aid Terms
Currently there is no standardization of college and university financial aid offers, so these letters look vastly different from one college to the next. They're often filled with confusing terms and jargon, and not all colleges define and calculate these terms the same way. This article has some general definitions to help students and their families navigate the process. (NOTE: To clarify how a particular school is using these terms, reach out to its financial aid office.) Author: Elissa Nadworny; part of the NPR special series, 'The Changing Face of College.'
Confused By Your College Financial Aid Letter? You're Not Alone
A high school senior's decision ion where to attend college will be closely tied to a college's financial aid offer. But since there’s no current standardization of these offers, letters look vastly different from one school to the next. This article explains those differences, and gives a tool that can help calculate what each school would ultimately cost. The article also has a guide of financial aid terms to help students and their families navigate through these offers. Author: Elissa Nadworny; part of the NPR special series, 'The Changing Face of College.'

Having the College Money Talk: 10 key questions every family should discuss
This article from the August 2016 issue of Consumer Reports magazine gives questions that students, and their parents, should discuss as part of the process of their college-planning process. The questions range from discussing a student's goals ("What does your student want to get out of college?") to the details of finances ("How much debt can one student manage?") among other topics. Author: Donna Rosato.

You may not need to borrow as much to pay for college. Here’s why.
The article covers recent trends in the economics of higher education costs. "Tuition is flat or declining, while state and federal grant aid is on an upswing. Students are also borrowing less, new data shows." Author: Danielle Douglas-Gabriel, writing for The Washington Post. October 27, 2024.

Websites

College Scorecard
The College Scorecard provides up-to-date, comprehensive, and reliable information on colleges, all in an easy-to-understand format. It's a great resource for choosing colleges, helping students to broaden their college search and compare their top-choice schools. The site allows visitors to sort and filter their search results to easily compare schools and decide which college makes the most sense when considering the typical costs, average student loan amount, students’ ability to repay their loans, and their future earnings. Presented by the US Department of Education.
CollegeData.com
This site includes tools that let you search colleges, create a college list, estimate chances of acceptance, search for scholarships, track admissions and financial aid, and more.

Paying for College - "We Need to Talk College"

Paying for College
In a video, Beth Kobliner explains what you need to know about the money side of higher education. The 'Everything You Need to Know About Financial Aid' page is a guide to maximizing the financial help you’ll get and minimizing your family’s debt. The 'Financial Aid Checklist' will help you keep track of the steps you need to take to unlock federal loans, grants, and scholarships. The 'Having the Money Talk'' page gives five talking points for giving a reality check to your teen of what your family can afford. A video shows Nikole and Regla - adaughter and mom talk about how they paid for one of the priciest schools in the U.S. in the wake of the Great Recession. The We Need to Talk College website is presented by Beth Kobliner, an author and commentator and journalist on money issues.
Beth Kobliner on having the "talk" with your kids about the cost of college
Marketplace Morning Report's David Brancaccio spoke with personal finance expert Beth Kobliner, about her latest project, the "We Need to Talk College" website. In this edited transcript, they discuss the economic realities of a college education and more importantly, who's footing the bill and how.

Books in the WSA Library - Paying for College

The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2024: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes by Gen and Kelly Tanabe
Call Number: 378.34 Tan
ISBN: 9781617601798
Publication Date: 2023-07-18
Contains listings for more than 1.5 million scholarship awards, explaining ways to get money for college based on career and academic goals, public service, extracurricular activity, talent, athletics, religion, and other criteria, and providing contact information, the purpose of the award, eligibility requirements, target applicants, minimum GPA, amount, number of awards, deadline, and how to apply.

College 101: Paying for College