Aid from Private & Community Sources
Grants and Scholarships:
Private scholarship providers can be an important source of additional “free money” for students. The criteria used for awarding such funds can vary widely, as private scholarship providers can establish nearly any criteria they wish for disbursing their funds. Check with local & national scholarship providers for their selection criteria. Some scholarships may be awarded based on academic merit and/or financial need, among other factors.
Researching the private scholarships for which you may be eligible can be time consuming. It can also pay huge dividends. Use your “free time” during school breaks and summer vacation to research possible scholarships for which you may be eligible. See the Free Scholarship Search section of this site for some suggested scholarship searches and other ideas for where to look for scholarships locally.
Important!
To qualify for need-based financial aid - Fill out the FAFSA!
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is a federal form a student must file in order to qualify for federal funds, state grants and college need-based financial aid. You can go to the federal website at www.fafsa.ed.gov for information and to complete the form. Remember, this is a free document. You do not have to pay to complete a FAFSA (and if you are asked to pay for it, you are on the wrong website).
- For Indiana students, this form must be completed by March 10 each year for the upcoming academic year in order to be considered for need-based state grant aid.
- The information provided on the FAFSA is used to calculate a student’s Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
- The information used to fill out the FAFSA should be pulled from the tax returns of the calendar year prior to the academic year for which you are filing the FAFSA (e.g. 2014 tax information for the 2015-2016 academic year).
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