A Monthly Feature on Congressional Services for Constituents Getting Help with Applying for Financial Aid for College Applying for colleges and financial aid can be a very harried and overwhelming process. Often constituents contact my office who have questions about or need assistance with student financial aid. There are a variety of scholarships and grants available through various local and national organizations and your college. Also, aid may be based on financial need, academic, athletic, or other qualifications, or on the field of study that you chose. Here are a few helpful tips that should keep the process running smoothly.
Most applications are due at least seven months before school starts.
To be safe, you should start looking for sources of financial aid and requesting applications a year to ten months before you plan to start school. Another thing to remember when seeking student financial aid is to apply for aid from more than one source. You may use several different grants, loans and scholarships at once. You may also consider internships and work cooperative programs. The best place to obtain information about possible sources of assistance is the financial aid office of the colleges you are applying to, or currently attending.