• It’s financial help if you’re enrolled in an eligible program at a school participating in our federal student aid programs. (By “school,” we mean a four-year or two-year public or private educational institution, a career school, or a trade school.)
  
  
• Aid covers school expenses, including tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation.
  
  
• Our aid is based on a student’s demonstrated financial need, rather than on grades.

There are three categories of federal student aid:

GRANTS…financial aid you don’t have to repay. Generally, you must be an undergraduate student, and the amount you receive depends on your need, cost of attendance, and enrollment status (full time or part time).

• Federal Pell Grants for the 2004-2005 award year (July 1, 2004 to June 30, 2005) range from $400 to $4,050.
  
  
• Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants (FSEOGs) range from $100 to $4,000.

WORK-STUDY … money you earn while enrolled in school that will help pay your educational expenses. The Federal Work-Study Program encourages community service work and work related to your course of study, whenever possible. You can be an undergraduate or graduate student.

LOANS …borrowed money you must repay with interest. You can be an undergraduate or graduate student. Parents may also borrow to pay the education expenses of their dependent undergraduate students. Maximum loan amounts depend on your grade level in school.

Federal Perkins Loans are offered by participating schools to students who demonstrate the greatest financial need. Any Federal Pell Grant eligibility must be calculated before a Federal Perkins Loan can be awarded. You repay the loan to your school.

Stafford Loans are made to students and PLUS loans are made to parents through two loan programs:

• William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program: Eligible students and parents borrow directly from the federal government at participating schools. Direct Loans consist of Direct Stafford Loans, Direct PLUS Loans, and Direct Consolidation Loans. You repay these loans to us (the U.S. Department of Education).
  
  
• Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program: Private lenders provide federally guaranteed funds. FFELs consist of Federal Stafford Loans, Federal PLUS Loans, and Federal Consolidation Loans. You repay these loans to the bank or other private lender that made you the loan.

• Be a U.S. citizen or eligible noncitizen with a valid Social Security Number.
  
  
• Demonstrate by one of the following means that you are qualified to obtain a postsecondary education:
  
  
  • Have a high school diploma or a General Education Development (GED) Certificate.
  • Pass an approved ability-to-benefit (ATB) test.
  • Meet other standards your state establishes that we have approved.
  • Complete a high school education in a home school setting approved under state law.
  
  
• Enroll in an eligible program as a regular student seeking a degree or certificate.
  
  
• Register (or have registered) with the Selective Service if you’re a male between 18 and 25.

• For FAFSA on the Web, you can go to www.fafsa.ed.gov.
  
  
• You can get a paper FAFSA from
  
  
  • a high school guidance office,
  • a college financial aid office,
  • a local public library, or
  • our Federal Student Aid Information Center by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243).

You can apply beginning January 1, 2004, and you have until June 30, 2005 to submit your FAFSA. But, be sure to check the FAFSA for the list of deadlines for state aid.

Schools and states often set deadlines early in the calendar year that you must meet to receive certain types of funds. Apply as early as you can; you don’t want to miss out on any source of aid!

2. Review your Student Aid Report (SAR).
You'll receive this report from us. The SAR confirms the information reported on your FAFSA and will contain your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). The EFC is a measure of your family’s financial strength and is used to determine your eligibility for federal student aid. To receive your aid, you must have a complete and correct SAR.

3. Contact the school(s) you might attend.
Talk with the financial aid office staff at the school(s) you’re interested in attending. Make sure they have all the information they need to determine your eligibility. The financial aid administrator will review your SAR, and if you’re eligible, will prepare a letter outlining the amount of aid (from all sources) the school will offer you.