What is federal financial aid?
Written by Elizabeth Exline
Reviewed byChris Conway,Director of Financial Education Initiatives and Repayment Management
The experience of going to college varies from person to person. Where you go, when you go, why you go — all of these factors are as individual as the students in a graduating class.
Yet, while the differences are many, nearly everyone asks the same question at least once:How am I going to pay for this?
Enter financial aid. Financial aid ismoney that students can use to pay for higher education, whether that’s at college, a university or a trade school. Its sources are equally diverse: Financial aid can come from the federal government, state agencies, educational institutions and private sources.
Here, we’ll explore one type of financial aid, federal financial aid, including how it works, when you have to repay it and what types are out there.
How does federal financial aid work?
When it comes to the federal financial aid award process, students can expect a structured process.
The first of these isfilling out the(®) form, which enables the U.S. Department of Education to determine what aid a student is eligible for.
Students have to complete the FAFSA form every year to be considered for financial aid. The FAFSA form generally becomes available to students every Oct. 1, and the deadline to submit the FAFSA form is June 30 each year. It’s also worth noting that schools may have their own deadlines, so it’s a good idea to complete the FAFSA form early.
Students wishing to pursue other aid opportunities, such as a scholarship, may do so through their school of choice or through an independent organization. Students may have to provide additional information and applications to be considered.
What's federal financial aid used for?
The obvious answer is tuition but going to school costs more than what a student pays for classes. Students may want to apply any funds remaining after tuition and fees to help cover expenses such as food and housing, books and supplies, or other education-related expenses.
Grants and student loans can usually be applied to other educational expenses after tuition and fees are covered. While financial aid can help cover expenses, it is important toborrow responsiblyand only borrow for the expenses a student truly needs. Theoffers additional information on responsible borrowing.
Schools generally apply grant funds first and then loan funds when applying federal financial aid toward a student’s education. Anyremaining funds may be paid to the studentto use for education-related expenses. In the event a student doesn’t need the extra funds, they can cancel all or part of their loan within 120 days of the disbursement date without incurring interest or fees. Federal student loans can also be repaid in advance without penalty.
Types of federal financial aid
There’s more than one type of federal financial aid to consider.
Grants
Grants arefunds that are applied to a student’s education, and typically do not have to be repaid. Most federal grants arebased on financial need and are available from the U.S. Department of Education. These are administered by the financial aid office at schools and universities.
One of the most common federal grants is thePell Grant, which is awarded to students who demonstrate “” and who have not earned a bachelor’s, graduate or professional degree.
Loans
As with any other loan,student loans accrue interest and have to be repaid. Loans can be helpful for students looking to fill the gap between what college costs and what they can afford (either out of pocket or with scholarships and grants).
There are different types of federal student loans out there.Direct Subsidized loansare need-based loans offered to eligible undergraduate students, for example, whileDirect PLUS loansare available to parents of dependent undergraduate students.
Direct Unsubsidized loansare available to eligible undergraduate, graduate and professional students, but eligibility is not based on financial need.
The U.S. Department of Education serves as the lender for all these loans, and a borrower repays his or her loans to a servicer assigned by the U.S. Department of Education.
More resources
The federal government offers additional aid programs for . These include grants, loans, loan deferment and loan forgiveness, as well as other options.
Do I have to pay back financial aid?
The answer to this all-important question depends on the type of aid a student accepts.Most grants, for example, don’t have to be repaidexcept under certain conditions. These generally pertain to situations when a student fails to complete the semester or enrollment period or to students who provided false information during the application process.
Federal loans, on the other hand, do have to be repaid. Othernotable differences with regard to federal loansinclude:
- The interest rate is fixedand usually lower than that of a private loan.
- Studentsdon’t need a credit checkor a cosigner for most of them.
- Forgiveness and repayment programs exist for those who qualify. Information on repaying loans can be found on the
The other thing to bear in mind is that all of this is just what’s available through federal financial aid.State agencies,nonprofit organizations,schoolsand evencompaniesmay offer more options, from tuition assistance to scholarships.
So, while everyone at some point asks, “How am I going to pay for this?” the answer can depend on who’s doing the asking.
Financial aid at ý
ý is committed to making paying for school transparent and affordable. Here are a few ways it strives to accomplish that:
- Savings Explorer®tool: Students curious to see how much they can save on a degree at ý can answer a few questions through this online tool and identify transfer credits and other cost-saving opportunities.
- Scholarships: Qualifying new students are awarded a scholarship or the best savings they are eligible for.
- Transfer credits: The University is a transfer-friendly institution accepting college credits from more than 5,000 accredited institutions. The TransferPath app invites prospective students who have some college experience to receive a free, unofficial evaluation of which credits may transfer.
- Employer tuition benefits: The University offers reduced tuition to employees at hundreds of organizations to make career-relevant education accessible.
- Self-paced alternative credit providers: The University works with select learning providers so students may earn additional credits toward their undergraduate degrees.
- Military credits: Members of all branches of the military can have their military experience assessed through the American Council on Education. ý honors these credit recommendations.
- Prior Learning Assessments:Certifications, trainings, licenses and even life skills all bring something to the educational table.Prior Learning Assessments offer students the opportunity to demonstrate eligible skills for college credit.
- Fixed tuition rate: As part of the University’s tuition guarantee, students can confidently enroll in a degree program with the knowledge that the cost won’t change over the course of their program.
Learn more about financial aid at ý, or request more information to learn about the University’s career-relevant skills and degree programs.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elizabeth Exline has been telling stories ever since she won a writing contest in third grade. She's covered design and architecture, travel, lifestyle content and a host of other topics for national, regional, local and brand publications. Additionally, she's worked in content development for Marriott International and manuscript development for a variety of authors.
ABOUT THE REVIEWER
As Director of Financial Education Initiatives and Repayment Management,Chris Conway works with departments across the University to provide resources that allow students to make more informed financial decisions. She is also an adjunct faculty member for the Everyday Finance and Economics course at the University, and she chairs the National Council of Higher Education Resources College Access and Success Committee. Conway is committed to helping college students make the right financial decisions that prevent future collection activity.
This article has been vetted by ý's editorial advisory committee.
Read more about our editorial process.
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