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College is an option many aspire to for the future opportunities it can open. But the cost can make it feel out of reach for many families.
The good news is that there are ways to reduce those expenses through financial aid programs and scholarships designed to make college more accessible. Yet, figuring out where to start looking for financial help can be stressful.
Scholarships and grants are two of the best options because they don’t have to be repaid. Here’s everything that students and their families need to know to apply — and make higher education more affordable.
Fill out the FAFSA first
The FAFSA, short for Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the federal form you’ll need to fill out if you want to receive government aid to pay for college.
The most popular grants are Federal Pell grants. Pell grants are awarded only to undergraduate students who have exceptional financial need and are worth up to $7,395 a year.
However, any student, regardless of income, is encouraged to fill out the FAFSA if they want to be considered for grants, scholarships, work-study funds and loans from either federal, state or school programs.
A student filling out the FAFSA will likely need the following documents and information:
- Social Security number
- A parent or guardian’s email address
- Driver’s license
- Bank statements
- Tax information
Students who need help or have questions while filling out the FAFSA can call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at 1-800-433-3243.
Students are also encouraged to pay attention to deadlines. Schools often set “priority dates” for financial aid. Submitting the FAFSA form before then gives students a better chance at some of the scholarships that aren’t federal grants. Priority dates vary depending on the school. However, students can still submit their FAFSA form and be considered for federal grants even after the priority deadline.
How to find scholarships and grants
There are thousands of scholarships and grants available, according to the U.S. Department of Education’s Federal Student Aid office. They are offered by schools, employers, individuals, private companies, nonprofits, communities, religious groups and professional and social organizations.
With so many options available, it is helpful to know which places offer reliable information. The Federal Student Aid office suggests trying these free sources of information about scholarships:
- A college or university’s financial aid office.
- A high school or TRIO counselor.
- The U.S. Department of Labor’s free scholarship search tool.
- Your library’s reference section. In Phoenix, there is a free college access center at Burton Barr Central Library called College Depot. The center provides workshops and helps with admissions and financial aid. Call 602-261-8847 for more information.
- Foundations, religious or community organizations, local businesses or civic groups.
- Organizations (including professional associations) related to your field of interest.
- Ethnicity-based organizations.
- Your employer or your parents’ employers.
Apply for your college’s scholarships
Universities award millions of dollars in what are called “institutional scholarships” each year. These can be need-based scholarships (based on family income) or merit-based scholarships (based on academic or other achievements). A student could even be eligible for a combination of both.
Colleges usually post their scholarship information on their websites.
The SAT or ACT could help
Arizona’s three state universities and the private Grand Canyon University don’t require the SAT or the ACT test for admission. But some merit scholarships are awarded based on scores on the popular college-entrance exams. Skipping these tests could mean missing out on money.
State grants and scholarships
Here are some programs Arizona students can apply to help pay for college.
- Arizona Promise Program: This guaranteed scholarship program covers the full cost of tuition and fees for qualifying, low-income Arizona residents who attend a public university, including Arizona State University, the University of Arizona and Northern Arizona University. To be eligible, you must qualify for a Federal Pell Grant by submitting the FAFSA.
- Arizona Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (AzLEAP): The Arizona Board of Regents offers these need-based grants for low-income undergraduate Arizona residents with substantial financial need. The grant can provide up to $2,500 per academic year and is available to students at ASU, NAU, UA and other participating institutions.
- Arizona Community College Workforce Scholarship: This program, part of the Talent Ready AZ initiative, provided scholarships to residents pursuing credentials or degrees in high-demand fields at one of Arizona’s community colleges.
- Empowerment Scholarship Account (ESA): This program, managed by the Arizona Department of Education, allows eligible families to receive funds from the state to cover education expenses like private school tuition, curriculum, and tutoring.
- Education Forward Arizona Scholarship: The program offers students up to $6,000 per year for up to four years. The program also includes access to mentoring and success services.
National scholarship sites
Many sites offer national databases of scholarships. Here are some that financial-aid experts recommend.
- Fastweb.com is a scholarship search provider that claims to have a database of 1.5 million college scholarships worth over $3.4 billion.
- Scholarships.com helps students discover scholarships they qualify for, organize their matches and apply for those scholarships.
- BigFuture by College Board is a non-profit site that offers a scholarship search tool with over 24,000 scholarships that award more than $1.5 billion annually. It also provides college planning resources.
None of these websites charges a fee to search for scholarships. Students should never pay to find scholarships.
Former Republic reporter Anne Ryman contributed to this article.
