Sorting Through the Process of Finding Financial Aid

The process of finding financial aid such as scholarships, loans, and can be incredibly complex. Here's an index of the most common sources of money to help pay for college:

• Need-Based Government Aid
  • Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Perkins Loan
  • Academic Competitiveness Grant
  • SMART Grant
  • Federal Work-Study
  • Subsidized Stafford Loans
  • Subsidized William D. Ford Loans
• Government Aid Available to All (not required to demonstrate financial need)
  • Federal Family Education Loans
  • PLUS Loans
  • Unsubsidized Stafford Loans
  • Unsubsidized William D. Ford Loans
• College-Based Aid
  • Merit Aid
  • Need-Based Grants and Loans
  • Work-Study
• Outside Scholarships
  • Community Groups
  • National Merit
  • Other Scholarships