There are a variety of resources available to help students fund their education. The first critical step in applying for financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It is important to complete the FAFSA early in order to receive maximum consideration for free money. Descriptions of the types of aid are listed below:

Grants
Grants are gift aid or free money awarded to qualified students who demonstrate substantial financial need (determined by the FAFSA).

Loans
Loans are funds provided to students (or parents in the case of the Parent PLUS Loan) and must be repaid. Some student loan programs require financial need others do not.

Student Employment
Students can work on or off campus through the Federal Work-Study program. The funds earned can be used toward a student’s educational expenses, while the student gains beneficial experience that can be applied in the workforce.

Scholarships
Scholarships are gift assistance awarded on based on merit and/or financial need and do not have to be repaid.

See our scholarship tips.

Other Resources
Other resources are funds received that do not fall into the typical financial aid categories listed above. Other resources include (but are not limited to): GI Bill/Veteran’s Benefits, Americorp/Peacecorp, tuition reimbursement and vocational rehabilitation.

More information can be found at the following links:

• ACT - ACT is an independent, not-for-profit organization that provides more than a hundred assessment, research, information, and program management services including the ACT test.



• ACT Parents - Parents play an essential role for students planning to attend college. ACT Parents offers advice for parents of high school students at all grades.



• ArizonaGRANTS - The AZ Grants website is the single point of entry and information for 5 separate State Grants. A brief application process of 4 steps will determine the grants for which an applicant may be eligible.



• College Answer - This is a free scholarship search site that provides access to a scholarship database containing more than 3 million scholarships worth over 16 billion dollars.



• College Board - The College Board is the nonprofit association which is responsible for administering the SAT test.



• Education Investment Planner - This new site is for parents and students who want help with saving, planning and paying for college with our free online tool.



• Explore Graduate School Seminars - Interested in Graduate School? Check out these free workshops offered in ASU's Explore Graduate School Seminars program.



• Federal Student Aid - The first step in looking for financial aid starts with FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)



• I'm Going - An education guide describing the steps needed for students to get ready for college provided by the US Department of Education



• KnowHow2GO - From middle school student just starting to think about college to adult mentoring for prospective students, KnowHow2GO has relevent information for every step of the way to a higher education.



• Upromise - Upromise helps people of all ages achieve their dreams of a college education. To do that, we've partnered with hundreds of America's leading companies to create a rewards network for Upromise members--whenever members buy something from one of our partners, they receive a portion of their eligible spending back in the form of college savings.



• YOUniversityTV - This website offers tours for many of the colleges across the United States, check out their videos!