Students
The following information is for Students. Please contact our office for assistance with any questions or problems you may have.
All Kids Resources | Kindergarten-5th Grade | 6th-12th Grade | College | Financial Aid
Our younger constituents are the future of our district and providing them information that can enhance their education is important to their development. Below are some resources that will be useful to kids.
In addition, there are resources for parents.
All Kids Resources
Kindergarten-5th Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: Kindergarten-2nd Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 3rd-5th Grade
- U.S. Census Bureau Fact Finder Page
- CIA Kids Page (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff (Kindergarten-3rd Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water and Ground Water Kids' Stuff (4th-8th Grade)
- FBI Kids Page (Kindergarten-5th Grade)
- FEMA For Kids (Federal Emergency Management Agency)
- Gearing Up for a Great Trip (Federal Trade Commission)
- Kids In the House: Young Learners
- Kids In the House: Grade School
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages (Kindergarten-6th Grade)
6th-12th Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 6th-8th Grade
- Ben's Guide to U.S. Government for Kids: 9th-12th Grade
- CIA Kids Page (6th-12th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff (4th-8th Grade)
- EPA Drinking Water & Ground Water Kids' Stuff (9th-12th Grade)
- FBI Youth (6th-12th Grade)
- Kids In the House: Middle School
- Kids In the House: High School
- National Center for Education Statistics Kids' Zone (Part of the U.S. Department of Education)
- U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's Kids Pages (6-12 Grade)
- You Are Here - Where Kids Learn to Be Smarter Consumers (5-8 Grade)
College
- Internship Opportunities
- An internship in my office provides a great opportunity for students to learn first-hand how our government works. Interns gain valuable knowledge and experience by having hands-on opportunity to learn about the legislative process, as well as the operations of a Congressional office.
- Military Academy Nominations
- Young people who are genuinely interested in pursuing a career in the military service and who are looking to build a career foundation at one of our esteemed service academies are encouraged to open a file in the Congressional District office by sending a letter of interest.
- Student Financial Aid
- Information is available to students to learn more about the process of locating and applying for financial aid.
Frequently Asked Questions:
How do I apply for student loans for college?
You can apply for a Federal Student Aid PIN (Personal Identification Number), fill out a FAFSA, and apply for federal student aid from the U.S. Department of Education online at http://studentaid.ed.gov.
If you have questions regarding loan options or the application process, contact your school’s financial aid office directly.
I am unable to repay my student loans because I am disabled and on a limited income. Can Congressman Walz’s office help me?
The U.S. Department of Education offers resources for individuals who are unable to repay their student loans. Information is available here. In some very limited circumstances, the U.S. Department of Education will allow a discharge of your student loans. For information on how to apply for a discharge of your student loans, please visit the link above, or contact my Rochester office.
Financial Aid for Students
Guides students through the process of locating and applying for financial aid. Prepared by the Congressional Research Service for Members of Congress, updated August 2013.
The basics: getting started |
- Start gathering information early.
- Free information is readily available from:
High school counselors
College and career school financial aid offices (where you plan to attend)
Local and college libraries
Federal Student Aid (U.S. Department of Education)
Other Internet sites (search terms student financial aid OR assistance) - Ask questions: counselors may know if you have exceptional circumstances that affect your eligibility.
- Keep copies of all forms and correspondence: you must reapply for aid each year.
- Parents of students: save money long before your child attends college.
FinAid: for Parents
College Savings Plan Network (state "Section 529" plans)
Tax incentives for higher education expenses - Good overviews:
About Financial Aid
FinAid: The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
Mapping Your Future - Beware of scholarship scams -- don’t pay for free information!
Department of Education
Federal Trade Commission
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Student aid and where it comes from |
Basic assistance categories:
- Financial need-based
Remember that students and their parents are responsible for paying what they can -- financial aid is a supplement, not a substitute, for family resources. - Non need-based
Factors include academic excellence, ethnic background, or organization membership. Corporations may also offer assistance to employees and children.
Federal Student Aid:
- Provides nearly 70% of student aid under Loans, Grants and Work/study programs.
- Available to all need-based applicants; some loans and competitive scholarships for non need-based.
- Free information from the United States Department of Education:
- Loans are the most common federal aid and must be repaid when you graduate or leave college.
- Stafford Loans (FFELs and Direct Loans) include:
- Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) from private lenders, such as banks and credit unions, guaranteed by the federal government.
- Federal PLUS Loans parental loans, not need-based.
- Perkins Loans [Download a free PDF reader] for the most needy undergraduates; through participating schools.
- Pell Grants
- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
- Named for Member of Congress or other prominent individual (such as Byrd Honors Scholarships, Fulbright fellowships)
- Merit-based and highly competitive
- Members of Congress do not play a role in selecting recipients
- Federal Work Study Program: college campus jobs
- USA Jobs: Welcome Students and Recent Graduates: jobs with the federal government
- Scholarships/grants are mostly need-based and require no repayment:
- "Congressional" scholarships:
- Work study programs allow you to earn money while in school:
- For questions not covered by the Department of Education Web site, call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
States offer residents a variety of scholarships, loans, and tuition exemptions.
- Check with your State Higher Education Agency and State Guarantee Agency.
- Consider prepaid tuition and college savings ("Section 529") plans: College Savings Plans Network.
- Search your Internet browser under terms such as student financial aid or assistance AND your state.
Colleges and universities provide some 20% of aid, most need-based. Check university Web sites and the institution’s financial aid office when you apply for admission.
Private foundations, corporations, and organizations offer scholarships or grants:
College Board Scholarship Search
FastWeb
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Targeted aid for special groups |
- Grants for Minorities: Asians, Blacks, Hispanics, Latinos, Native Americans, and Other Ethnic Groups
- African Americans: For Students: Scholarships
- Disabled students: Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities
- Foreign students: Financial Aid for International Students
- Hispanic Americans: Scholarships
- Law school students: LSAC Resources: Grants
- Medical students: Association of American Medical Colleges
- Native Americans: American Indian College Fund
- Study abroad (for U.S. and non-U.S. citizens): International Financial Aid
- Veterans: Education Benefits
Interested in public service?
Federal assistance programs seek to encourage people to work in geographic areas or professions where there’s a particular need (such as doctors in underserved areas); encourage underrepresented groups to enter a particular profession; and provide aid in exchange for services provided (such as military service).
- AmeriCorps Education Award
Volunteers who complete one year of service receive an education award for current higher education expenses or to repay student loans. - Army Tuition Assistance
Additional benefits for Army personnel. - Indian Health Service
Scholarships for American Indian/Alaskan Native health profession students and loan repayment for persons working in IHS facilities. - Military academies:
United States Air Force Academy
United States Coast Guard Academy
United States Merchant Marine Academy
United States Military Academy
United States Naval Academy - National Health Service Corps
Scholarships and loan repayment for health profession students who agree to work in underserved areas. - Nursing Scholarships
Offered in exchange for two years of service in areas with critical nursing shortages. - Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC)
For students who want to be commissioned as officers after graduating from college.
United States Air Force ROTC
United States Army ROTC
United States Navy ROTC - USA Jobs: Welcome Students and Recent Graduates
Scholarships, grants, fellowships, internships, and cooperative education with federal agencies.
Aid for private K-12 education: No direct federal assistance, check with schools themselves:
- Coverdell Education Savings Accounts: for elementary and secondary school expenses as well as higher education.
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Repaying your loans |
After college, the federal government has ways to help you repay your loans.
- Eligibility depends upon the type of loan, when it was made, and whether it’s in default. Check with your loan officer to find out if you qualify.
- Loan Consolidation: combine your federal loans into a single loan with one monthly payment.
- Sometimes loans may be canceled in exchange for public service.
Teachers: Cancellation/Deferment Options
Health professions: National Health Service Corps
Law school graduates: Loan Repayment Assistance Programs
Law school graduates: State Loan Repayment/Forgiveness Programs
Medical school graduates: Loan Repayment Program
Federal employees: Federal Student Loan Repayment Program - Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Student Debt Repayment Assistant.