For more information on what determines whether a student is dependent or independent, visit the Ask the Experts archives Independent Student Article . The process by which financial aid funds are made available to students for use in meeting educational and related living expenses. Funds may be disbursed directly to the student, or applied to the student's account. This is a program under which gifted high school juniors who have exhausted what their school can offer academically, skip their senior year and go on to college. This is a program under which a student applies to a school, usually prior to the normal application deadline, and agrees to attend, if admitted, assuming the financial package is acceptable.
Eligibility is based on credit-worthiness.
For information on PLUS Loans and other types of student loans, visit the Financial Aid Office on CollegeView. Federal grant program for undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need and have not yet completed a first baccalaureate course of study. Federally guaranteed, low-interest rate loan for students. Both types allow deferment of payments until a student leaves school. The interest on a subsidized loan is paid by the government while the student is in school, whereas with unsubsidized loans, the interest begins when the loan is funded but payments can be deferred until principal payments begin.