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Financial Aid

Higher Education costs vary and financial aid may be available

The cost of education beyond high school varies widely, depending on factors like the course of study, institution selected, and the educational objective. Saving to pay for college is important, but help is also available to many California students for college expenses. Aid may come directly from the school or college, the state, or the federal government. Find out if you qualify for financial assistance. See a counselor. Ask for more information about aid from the institutions you are considering attending. More information is available from:
  • California Student Aid Commission - Financial Aid for higher education students is available in the form of grants and scholarships, student employment, and low-interest loans. Most of the different types of available state, federal and private financial aid programs are listed here.

    California Student Aid Commission
    PO Box 419045
    Rancho Cordova, CA 95741-9045
    (916) 526-7282

  • Federal Student Aid Information Center - For Financial Aid from the U.S. Department of Education, try the Student Guide. It is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of student financial aid available through the Department's Student Financial Assistance office. Updated each award year, the Student Guide tells you about the programs and how to apply for them.

    Federal Student Aid Information Center
    PO Box 84
    Washington, DC 20044
    1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)

  • ScholarShare- One of most important and costly expenses facing families today is funding their children's education. The cost of a four-year college education will almost triple in 18 years - to $100,000 at a public university and more than $200,000 at a private college. Now there's a great new way for parents and grandparents to save and invest for college - and receive tax-deferred benefits -- through the ScholarShare College Savings Program, sponsored by the State of California.

    ScholarShare
    1-800-544-5248

  • EdFund - For information on Federal Programs [Pell Grants], Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants, Federal Work-Study, State Programs [Cal Grant], and other financial aid programs.

    EdFund
    1-888-22FFELP (223-3357)

  • College-Scholarships - The 2002 California Colleges website is for students, parents, and educators to use to request college and university catalogues, admissions applications, and information about scholarships and financial aid.

  • FinAid.org - FinAid has a huge amount of information, on everything from grants to grad school funds.

  • CollegeFunds.net - CollegeFunds.net was founded by several college students in 1998. CollegeFunds.net is a internet-based service committed to bringing students the most up to date and accurate scholarship information available to them. They have designed a scholarship and financial aid information packed website to help you meet your financial aid needs.

Academic support and out-reach programs:

There are many programs - some directly involving California public colleges and universities and other institutions - that help students prepare for higher education. Ask your counselor or contact colleges about such programs in your community. More information and assistance is available online at: