The first step to qualify for all types of federal college grants is to fill out a FAFSA form. This form is used for establishing your financial need, as well as used to establish how much federal financial aid you qualify for. To fill out this form you will need tax return information, personal identification information, as well as the code for the college, or colleges that you are interested in attending.
Federal college grants use the information from your FAFSA to determine which grant programs you qualify for. Government grants generally are distributed based on financial need or on scholastic aptitude. If you don’t have a lot of money available to fund your college education then you should submit your application for both of these types of grants.
If your federal college grants don’t cover all of your college expenses then you also have the option to accept student loans. The two most commonly offered student loans are subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans. To apply for these student loans you will need to talk to your school’s financial aid office to see if they have a preferred lender. If they don’t then you can apply for these loans at almost any bank.
Another option for financing your college education is to apply for scholarships. Scholarship opportunities are advertised in educational journals, professional journals, and a listing can also be found at your college’s financial aid office. Scholarships are usually based on grade point average and application essays. To improve your chances of winning a scholarship it is important to make sure that you follow all of the instructions provided with the scholarship application, as well as make sure that you submit your application by the posted deadlines.
