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Financial Aid & Scholarships

College affordability is a challenge for many families. The majority of financial aid and scholarships come directly from the college, or from federal and state government programs, so it's important to focus your initial efforts there. 

Understanding Financial Aid 
Confused between a grant, scholarship and loan? Unclear about merit aid, need-based aid, institutional aid and outside scholarships? These resources can help:
  • FinAid.org is the go-to site for clear explanations and aid comparison tools 
  • Financial Aid Finder does a great job of explaining the different types of available loans and grants
  • The ECMC Foundation provides my favorite explanations about student loans 
  • Use the Student Aid site from the US Government to understand what your  loan repayment will entail 
  • The US Department of Education provides this college funding information. I especially like the section on loan forgiveness
  • Here are some good financial aid explanations from Turbo Tax.
  • Congratulations! You've been accepted to college and received some aid. Your Financial Aid Award Letter can be hard to understand. This explanation from FastWeb will help

Financial Planning and Aid Applications
  • Here's a list that indicates which schools give merit aid, and approximately how much they give.
  • The FAFSA Forecaster lets you and your parents understand how much the federal government thinks your family can contribute towards the cost of your college education each year. That number is called your "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC)
  • Here's another site you can use to calculate your EFC.
  • Saving for college early is a great idea if you family can do so. Saving for College is a resource for researching and comparing 529 College Savings Plans
  • You must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) in order to qualify for need-based aid. Here's a rap video FAFSA Hooray to encourage you to get it done
  • studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsaThe FAFSA is available October 1 every year. Submit it during the month of October of your senior year.  Waiting may mean that your desired school runs out of funds, so don't delay!
  • Here's good FAFSA Resource Guide in case you get confused.
  • Many private colleges and universities require an additional financial aid application called the CSS Profile, which is available fall of senior year. If you are applying early decision, be sure to fill it out by November 1 of senior year. At the latest, it is best to complete it by February 1 of senior year. Be sure to check the college's website because deadlines may differ! 
  • The following people specialize in financial planning for college and might be very helpful:
  • Here's a good source for general money management tips.

Scholarship Search 
Outside scholarships can be a great supplemental resource and there are lots of tools to help you find them. Remember that scholarship hunting is very time consuming, and the best results come when you start early (sophomore year) and devote enough time and effort to the quest.

Many scholarship search sites will bombard you with emails. You may want to create a separate email address just for your scholarship searches, but if you do, be sure to check it on a very regular basis!
  • Use the Scholarship Search E-Book to plan your approach and timeline for finding money to pay for college
  • FastWeb is a well-regarded scholarship search site. Register and create a profile, and then appropriate match scholarship notifications are sent to you
  • Cappex is another great scholarship search engine 
  • MeritAid is my favorite place to search for merit scholarships 
  • Zinch allows you to create a profile and get matched with scholarships and schools that are looking for someone like you. They have a cool promotion where they may double the value of scholarships you apply for through their site and get
  • Here are some scholarships specific to people who are differenly-abled
  • MoolahSpot is an alternate scholarship search that is easy to navigate 
  • The Adventures in Education site lets you search for scholarships by key word 
  • Cappex has you create a profile and search for scholarships or college matches
  • If you are open to serving our country in exchange for scholarship funding, check out the scholarship opportunities related to the Reserve Officer Training Corp: Army ROTC,  Navy ROTC, and Air Force ROTC

Scholarships Specifically for Oregon Students
  • The OSAC Scholarship application aggregates hundreds of scholarships that pertain to Oregon students. make sure to check the entire list very carefully and add all that apply to your submission list. All Oregon students should fill it out by February 1 of senior year. Essays are required so start early! 
  • The Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) is a group of public colleges in western states that have agreed to charge reduced tuition to qualifying students from within those states
  • The Ford Family Foundation offers a generous scholarship that funds the gap between a student's financial aid package and the total cost of attendance. Apply through the OSAC
  • Black United Fund of Oregon joins with Oregon colleges who become ACCEESS partners and award scholarships to African/African American students, who are selected based on their academic standing, financial need, school participation, community service activities, oral and written performance
  • The Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber (Portland area) offers annual scholarships for students of Hispanic ancestry living in Oregon or Clark County, Washington. Applicants are evaluated based on their academic achievements, extracurricular activities in the community and a written essay.  
  • The Asian Reporter offers annual scholarships to students of Asian or Pacific Island heritage 
  • The Kaiser Permanente Health Care Career Scholarship Program offers a $2000 scholarship to one senior pursuing a career in health at each high school in their service district
  • Oregon GEAR UP is a program for middle and high school students. Their motto is "College. It's not a dream, it's a plan." Students who participate in the program are eligible for GEAR UP scholarships and should apply through the OSAC  
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