Preparing for college, both academically and financially, can begin as early as families might wish to do so. Starting when children are in middle school or junior high school is not at all too early.   The resources below will assist in this planning process.  Parents and students should know the kinds of courses needed to be accepted into a college, how to find the right school, the costs of attending college, and the financial assistance that might be available.

## Comprehensive Portal Sites

**Federal Student Aid (FSA), Student Portal Web Site**:  This site provides information on academic planning and preparation, choosing a school, types of financial aid, qualifications and steps to apply for financial aid, managing loans, and more.

**USA.gov**:  The U.S. government's official web portal to federal, state, and local government web resources and services.

## Finding a School

**Database of Postsecondary  Educational Institutions and Programs Accredited by Accrediting Agencies (DAPIP)  and State Approval Agencies Recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education:**This database lists approximately 6,900 postsecondary educational institutions and programs, each of which is accredited by an accrediting agency or state approval agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education as a "reliable authority as to the quality of postsecondary education" within the meaning of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).

## Financing and Financial Information

**College Affordability and Transparency Center**:  Get cost information from the Office of Postsecondary Education that helps you make informed decisions about your choice for higher education. View lists of institutions with the highest tuition prices, highest net prices, and institutions whose prices are rising at the fastest rates.

**Federal Student Aid**: Most student assistance from the U.S.  Department of Education is in the form of grants, loans, and work-study to help  pay the cost of attending a postsecondary institution.  The FSA Student Portal has information on the federal student aid programs.

**College Cost and Other Information**: College Navigator from the National Center for Education Statistics helps you find colleges based on location, programs, tuition, distance learning, evening courses, and more. Save your favorites and compare up to four colleges.

**Tax Benefits for Higher Education**: There are a number of tax provisions that assist students and parents in financing  postsecondary education.  The Internal Revenue Service has a site explaining tax credits for education.  Two additional IRS web pages to visit include IRS Publication 970 and their tax information  for students.

**College Financing  Plan (formerly known as the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet):**  To promote transparency in student financial disclosures, the Department of Education partnered with the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau to develop the Financial Aid Shopping Sheet designed to help students better understand the amount of grants, loans, and scholarships they would receive for college.  Secretary Duncan asked college and university  presidents to voluntarily adopt the Shopping Sheet as part of their financial  aid awards starting in the 2013-14 school year. Institutions of higher education interested in adopting the Shopping Sheet may contact the Department of Education at Collegefinancingplan@ed.gov**** for additional information.

## Additional Resources

**Mapping Your Future**: A public-service Web site providing career, college, financial aid, and financial literacy information and services.

 

***Please report any non-working or broken links to***opewebmaster@ed.gov

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U.S. Department of EducationOffice of Postsecondary EducationLyndon Baines Johnson (LBJ) Building400 Maryland Avenue, S.W.Washington, DC 20202