You won t have to start paying off a student loan until after you graduate. A grant is free money given on a need basis, unlike scholarships, which favor academics. The largest need-based federal student aid program is the Pell Grant. In January of your senior year, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Your guidance counselor has copies, as do the schools.
All schools have ways of gathering financial aid for their students.
There s a lot of money out there, said John Van Gieson, media consultant to the Independent Colleges and Universities of Florida. Both public and private institutions customize financial aid packages. Tales of Financial Aid Coming up with the cash College life could have been easy for Lisa Dones. Since her junior year, she wanted to go to Florida College, a two-year independent school in Temple Terrace. Lisa had to get the money on her own.