Clifton-Fine CSD

Financial Aid

Financial Aid

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Everything you need to know about the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Financial Aid).

Basic Information

What is the FAFSA and how do you fill it out?

Create a New FSA ID

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Fill out the FAFSA or correct an existing FAFSA here. The starting point for all college financial aid.

Dependency StatusYour dependency status determines whose information you must report on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) form.

How Aid Is CalculatedSo, you’ve filed your FAFSA®, and you’ve checked your Student Aid Report to be sure all your information is correct, and now you’re wondering how that data is used to come up with the list of financial aid for which you’re eligible.

Learn about and apply for New York State financial aid.

Start Here - Get There

HESC's guide to applying for federal and NYS financial aid.

Understanding the FAFSA - Best CollegesFiling the FAFSA is an extremely important part the college application process. Learn what you'll need to fill out the FAFSA step by step.

Types of Aid/Getting Aid

Information about types of financial aid, who is eligible and how to avoid scams.

Types of AidFinancial aid is money to help pay for college or career school. Aid can come from the U.S. federal government, the state where you live, the college you attend, or a nonprofit or private organization. Besides financial aid, you also should think about what you can do to lower your costs when you go to college.

Who Gets AidDifferent types of aid (private scholarships, state grants, etc.) have different rules, called eligibility criteria, to determine who gets the aid. Here are the eligibility criteria for the federal student aid programs.

Calculating Pell Grant Lifetime Eligibility UsedThe amount of Federal Pell Grant funds you may receive over your lifetime is limited by federal law to be the equivalent of six years of Pell Grant funding. Since the maximum amount of Pell Grant funding you can receive each year is equal to 100%, the six-year equivalent is 600%.

Interest Rates and FeesIf you receive a federal student loan, you will be required to repay that loan with interest. It is important that you understand how interest is calculated and the fees associated with your loan.

Aid for Military FamiliesBoth the federal government and nonprofit organizations offer money for college to veterans, future military personnel, active duty personnel, or those related to veterans or active duty personnel.

Financial Aid Guide for Military and VeteransIf you or one of your family members has served in the military, you probably qualify for several governmental or institutional educational awards.

Avoiding ScamsBefore you apply for financial aid, learn how to spot potential fraud, avoid paying for free services, and prevent identity theft. Save Your Money:

Repaying Loans

Information about repaying federal student loans and loan forgiveness.

How to Repay Your LoansUnderstanding how to repay your federal student loans can save you a lot of time and money. We’re here to help you manage repayment and answer any questions you have along the way.

Income-Driven PlansAn income-driven repayment plan sets your monthly student loan payment at an amount that is intended to be affordable based on your income and family size. We offer four income-driven repayment plans: Revised Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (REPAYE Plan) Pay As You Earn Repayment Plan (PAYE Plan) Income-Based Repayment Plan (IBR Plan) Income-Contingent Repayment Plan (ICR Plan) If you’d like to repay your federal student loans under an income-driven plan, you need to fill out an application.

Public Service Loan ForgivenessThe Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer.

Teacher Loan ForgivenessThere are two types of loan forgiveness programs for teachers: Teacher loan forgiveness for Direct Subsidized Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, Subsidized Federal Stafford Loans, and Unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loans Teacher cancellation for Federal Perkins Loans

Forgiveness, Cancellation, and DischargeForgiveness, cancellation, and discharge of your loan means that you are no longer expected to repay your loan.

College Preparation

Resources for college planning from elementary school through high school and for adult students, too.

Checklists for Academic and Financial PreparationStudents, “college prep” is about more than the classes that you take. It’s also about developing the skills that will help you succeed in college and life. For instance, as you balance studying and having fun, you’ll be practicing time management; and as you save for college, you’ll be learning money management. Our checklists suggest these and many other steps you can take, as well as websites you can explore, as you prepare academically and financially for college.

Prepare for CollegeThinking about college, career, technical, or trade school, or graduate school? There’s so much to consider when it comes to getting ready for college: where to go, what to study, how to apply, how to pay for it all, and more. It’s never too early—or too late—to explore your options for college or career school. We’ll walk through some key steps in preparing for college and provide resources that can help you along the way. You’ll have to take the time to research and understand your options, but you don’t have to do it alone. We’re here to help!

Middle School ChecklistsStudents To Do: Think about college as an important part of your future. Discuss your thoughts and ideas with your family and with people at school. Start saving for college if you haven’t already. Take challenging and interesting classes to prepare for high school.

Special Audiences

Resources for parents, graduate students, adult students, and international study.

Resources for ParentsThroughout this website, you’ll find useful information about paying for college with the federal student aid programs. We’d like to point out some pages of the site, and other resources, that might be of particular

Funding Graduate School

Federal Student Aid for Adult Students

International SchoolsWhether you plan to study abroad for a semester or get your entire degree outside the United States, you may be able to use federal student aid to pay your expenses.

Social Media

Includes links on Twitter, YouTube and Facebook for Federal Student Aid.

FAFSA Twitter Feed

Federal Student Aid on Youtube

Federal Student Aid on Facebook

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