Financial Aid

Students are strongly encouraged to apply for Financial Aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.studentaid.gov. The application is available beginning December 1st and takes an estimated 40-60 minutes to complete. Students will need an account, as well as their parent(s). Students will receive a Student Aid Index (SAI) after completing it, which will be used by colleges to calculate financial aid packages. The SAI number is often also requested by scholarship organizations, which is why it can be helpful to complete the FAFSA even if families do not think they will qualify for need based aid.

Some colleges may also require the College Board’s CSS Profile, which is a more comprehensive financial aid application that takes 2-3 hours to complete. The CSS Profile is available beginning on October 1st. There are fees associated with the CSS Profile, but aside from the CSS Profile students/families should never be asked to pay to apply for financial aid.

Financial Aid deadlines are different from application deadlines. It is important to know what the financial aid deadlines are for each of your schools you are applying to.

If you need any assistance with filing the FAFSA - Granite Edvance is a great resource and free to NH residents. Their website, https://graniteedvance.org/ has great resources and the ability to schedule 1 on 1 sessions for FAFSA support, or they can be reached at 603-225-6612. Financial Aid offices at the colleges are also a good resource if you have any questions about the process or need advice.

National Scholarship Month

National Scholarship Month is in full swing!!! The team @STUDY.COM are highlighting their comprehensive financial aid and scholarship guides for college students to share information about different resources that can be utilized to fund a college education!!!!! They've created an in-depth, expert-verified Guide to FAFSA and Financial Aid along with a number of comprehensive scholarship guides to help all students in their journey to gaining a degree.

Scholarship Guide for Hispanic and Latino Students

Scholarship Guide for LGBTQ Students

Scholarship Guide for Students of Color

Several websites for Best Values for general information, financial aid, scholarships, and students with disabilities.

www.bestvalueschools.org/financial-aid/

www.bestvalueschools.org/

www.bestvalueschools.org/best-resources-college-students-disabilities/

www.bestvalueschools.org/scholarship/