| Many people think of financial aid as something | | | | much more. With this amount of money available |
| that is only available for poor people. Many people | | | | for aid, do you really think you should worry |
| think of it as a government handout, just like | | | | whether you can afford college or not? |
| food stamps and welfare. 30 and 40 years ago, | | | | Many people tell horror stories about the financial |
| this is what financial aid was. Today, it has | | | | aid offices at colleges and universities. While there |
| changed drastically. | | | | is some truth to these, can you really put a price |
| Financial aid is a very broad term in today's world. | | | | tag on dealing with a little bit of nonsense to get a |
| It basically means the difference between a | | | | lot of help in return? Even if it took you a couple |
| college's retail price and the amount the student | | | | of weeks to get everything straightened out, in |
| pays to attend. Financial aid comes in many | | | | the end, it will be worth it. Do not make |
| different forms. There are government grants, | | | | assumptions such as my family has too much |
| which include subsidized and unsubsidized loans, | | | | money and I will not get any aid, it is just another |
| private scholarships, public scholarships, and tuition | | | | term for borrowing money and I do not want to |
| discounts offered by colleges and universities. | | | | do that, or obtaining aid is very difficult and not |
| There may be many more creative ways to | | | | many people qualify. These are all false |
| define financial aid; it really just depends on how | | | | assumptions and can be very damaging if you |
| creative you are and how much a college wants | | | | believe them. |
| you at their school. | | | | The truth is you should fill out all forms when it |
| There're literally billions and billions of dollars that | | | | comes to financial aid. It may take a lot of time, |
| come from colleges, universities, and government | | | | but it will be worth it. Your parents will have to |
| programs each and every year to help students | | | | provide all information about their financial lives, |
| afford college. It is estimated that the | | | | such as the amount of money they have in the |
| government spends over $50 billion each year on | | | | bank, the stocks they own, the 401(k)s and IRAs |
| various programs to help students. It is also | | | | they possess, and provide at least two years |
| estimated that over $10 billion comes from | | | | worth of tax returns. Talk with your financial aid |
| colleges themselves, usually in the forums of | | | | office and ask how you can help them help you if |
| scholarships and tuition discounts. Those are just | | | | your parents make a lot of money. It is true that |
| estimates; some people think that it is actually | | | | you don't know what you don't know. |