Overview: Federal Financial Aid Programs
The U.S. Department of Education provides a variety of financial assistance programs to help students and their families pay for college. To be eligible for Federal Student Aid programs, students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) each year. Final eligibility is determined by institutions prior to the student receiving their payment. FSA may be received through campus employment, grants, and loans. These programs are summarized here. If you need more information, contact the Federal Student Aid Information Center (FSAIC) at 1-800-4-FED-AID or visit www.studentaid.ed.gov.
Campus Employment
- Need based
- Part-time employment for undergraduate or graduate students while enrolled in school
- Not all institutions participate in this program
Grants
- Need based
- Awarded to undergraduate students who have not yet earned a bachelor's degree
Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant
- Need based
- Not all institutions participate in this program
Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
- Available to students who are not eligible for a Pell Grant, but whose parent or guardian was member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died as a result of services performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2011
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant (TEACH Grant)
- Available to students planning to teach full time for four years within eight year of graduating
- If the teaching requirements are not met, the awards may be converted to an unsubsidized Federal Direct Stafford Loan
Loans
- Made available through participating institutions to parents ( for their dependent, undergraduate students) and to graduate and professional students
- Offers both need-based (Direct Subsidized) and non need-based (Direct Unsubsidized) loans
- Made available through participating institutions
