Financial Aid
Resources and Information
Financial aid awards often
vary greatly, and comparing them can be difficult.
This spreadsheet will
help you calculate your out-of-pocket costs for each college. Enter the cost of
attendance, expected family contribution, and aid amounts that are listed in
your award letters. Then figure your family's total cost for each school, taking
into account your future student loan debt. You may find that the college with
the lowest tuition is not the least costly to your family. You can
download a previously filled out sample
here.
AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a national service program that helps people of all ages and
backgrounds to pay for education in exchange for a year of service.
American Indian College Fund
Originally created to support 30 U.S. tribal colleges and universities, this
fund has become the nation's largest provider of privately-funded Native
American scholarships in the country, helping thousands of students to fulfill
their dreams. The fund is also a partner in the Gates Millennium Scholars
Program, the largest minority scholarship effort of its kind.
ASPIRA
ASPIRA is a national organization working to further the interest of Hispanic
youth. This Web site provides numerous links geared toward Hispanic persons
including scholarships, internships and fellowships, financial aid resources,
and SAT and ACT information and more.
Black
Excel-The College Help Network
This Web site includes financial aid information and a list of 100 minority
scholarships. This site also offers links to SAT and ACT preparation sites and a
newsletter and many articles on postsecondary educational experiences for
African-Americans.
College Costs: A Field Guide
This site contains information on all aspects of financing a college education.
Creating Options: A
Resource on Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities (2001).
The latest edition of this popular resource paper features up-to-date
information about federal financial aid programs, describes the relationship
between state vocational rehabilitation agencies and the financial aid process,
and lists organizations that offer disability-related grants and scholarships
for postsecondary education.
Financial Aid Checklist
This site offers month-by-month instructions and advice on what students should
be doing from 10th grade onward to maximize their financial aid award.
Financial Aid Information Page (FinAid)
Information on financial aid, grants, and loans is provided on this
comprehensive and easily navigated financial aid site. FinAid contains pages on
loans, scholarships, military aid, and other types of scholarhips. Financial aid
forms and directions, an "Ask the Advisor" function, and financial aid
calculators can be found here.
Financial Aid Search Through the Web
This helpful site has a free scholarship database of 400,000 scholarships,
fellowships, internships, and grants. A free profile can be entered and e-mail
notices sent on scholarships that fit the student's criteria. The Canadian data
are in French and English. There are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and
information on local and school-based awards. The parents’ page has an Ask the
Experts feature. A helpful financial aid glossary is accessible.
Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
FAFSA opens the door to the federal aid process. This site leads you through the
FAFSA filing process. The application is available online in both English and
Spanish. The federal filing deadlines are given, but don't forget to check your
state's deadline (that means eligivility for state financial aid), which may be
earlier.
GEAR
UP (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
The GEAR UP program encourages low income students to attend college by planning
early. The site provides lists of available grants.
Hispanic College Fund
This site lists all of the colleges and universities that participate in the
Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Program, a program that awards over 100
scholarships. Also included are sites designed to provide assistance to
Hispanic students.
Latino
Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island
The Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island (LADO) is an
organization in the Latino community dedicated to providing financial assistance
to Latino students from Rhode Island as they pursue a higher education. The
organization is an affiliate of the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America,
a national organization that provides technical assistance to local scholarship
efforts. The Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island's mission is
to expand access to higher education for Latino students in Rhode Island by
involving and assisting the private sector in the support of these students.
Contact Dr. Jose Gonzalez at 456-9256 for more information.
Mapping Your Future
Sponsored by guaranty agencies that participate in the Federal Family Education
Loan (FFEL) Program, this site has tours for middle and high school students,
college attendees, student loan borrowers, and non-traditional students. This
site contains useful information on higher education and careers, has links to
online application forms, a financial aid calendar, budget calculator and loan
calculator. Also helpful are the sections containing Frequently Asked Questions
(FAQ) and a glossary of financial aid terminology.
Find
scholarships, internships and other financial aid program
from non-college sources that match your education level,
talents, and background.
President's Student
Service Challenge Volunteering not only lets you give back to your
community, but also gives you money for college. As part of the President’s
Student Service Challenge, the Corporation for National Service recognizes
outstanding student volunteers by offering scholarships to high school juniors
and seniors who have helped to improve their communities through volunteer
service.
Scholarship Resources Network
This is a search engine and database that provides information on private
scholarships for undergraduates and postgraduates who wish to locate funding for
study.
Scholarship Scam
The Federal Trade Commission provides advice on how to spot scholarship scams.
The
Student Guide to Financial Aid
The Student Guide is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the
U.S. Department of Education. The guide covers the department's major aid
programs, including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans. About 70% of
all student aid comes from the programs discussed in this guide.
Wired Scholar
Sallie Mae, a national leader in higher education finance, developed this
site. The site has information on planning, selecting, and applying to college
and is especially helpful with the financial side of going to college, including
information options for financing your college education, finding financial aid,
and managing costs. The site has a database of over 600,000 sources of financial
aid. Information and resources of interest to minority scholars are represented.
Financial
Aid Resources for Rhode Islanders
CollegeBoundfund
CollegeBoundfund provides a powerful way to save for higher education.
Sponsored by the state of Rhode Island, CollegeBoundfund is a "529 plan" that
offers many benefits including tax-free earnings growth, a RI State tax
deduction on contributions and a choice of investment options. Withdrawals for
qualified higher education expenses are also federal and Rhode Island state
income-tax free.*
An account can be opened to save for the
educational expenses of a child by parents, grandparents, relatives or friends.
Funds invested in a CollegeBoundfund account are managed my Alliance
Capital with investment oversight from the Rhode Island's State Investment
Commission. When the child is ready to attend school, funds can be used at
virtually any public or private educational institution in the nation and at
some schools abroad. Funds can be withdrawn to pay for qualified expenses such
as tuition, room, board, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for
enrollment.
For information about CollegeBoundfund
call toll-free 1-888-324-5057, or visit their web site,
www.collegeboundfund.com.
* Under a "sunset provision" the federal
tax exemption for earnings on qualified withdrawals is scheduled to expire on
December 31, 2010 unless extended by congress.
College Planning Center
The College Planning Center, a free resource center sponsored by the
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA), offers Rhode Islanders
up-to-date information on college admission, financial aid, financing options,
distance learning, and careers. The center also offers advice on scholarship
searches and adminsters a Web site,
www.rischolarships.com. Experienced financial aid and admissions
professionals will be available seven days a week to answer questions. The
center is committed to reaching all populations within the Rhode Island
community to ensure that each of these populations has access to this essential
information. The College Planning Center is located at the Warwick Mall, 400
Bald Hill Road, Suite R10. The College Planning Center Web site provides links
to sites with information on financial aid, college selection, distance
learning, careers and job searches. Contact: David DeBlois at 401-736-3170 or at
ddeblois@cpcri.org, or visit the College Planning Center's Web site at
www.collegeplanningcenter.org.
New England Regional Student
Program (RSP)
This program enables New England residents to get a reduction on out-of-state
tuition when they enroll at out-of-state New England public colleges and
universities, and study RSP-approved majors which are not offered by their home
states. All 78 public colleges and universities in New England participate in
the RSP, offering hundreds of academic programs through RSP. Programs are
available at all academic levels from associate's degrees through doctoral and
first professional degrees. The RSP is a tuition reduction program, not a
financial assistance or scholarship program, and students accepted through RSP
are eligible to apply for financial aid from other sources. The catalog of RSP
eligible programs, the Apple Book, is available in high school guidance offices,
public libraries, college career services and admissions offices at New England
public colleges and universities. For more information call New England
Regional Student Program 617-357-9620 or visit the
Web site.
Rhode
Island Higher Education Assistance Authority
The Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority (RIHEAA), was created to
provide financial assistance to students and their families to help them realize
their postsecondary educational goals. The mission of RIHEAA is to provide
educational access and choice to residents of Rhode Island, promoting equal
postsecondary opportunity to students who are restricted from participating in
the educational programs of their choice due to insufficient financial
resources. RIHEAA administers the Rhode Island State Grant Program, the Academic
Promise Scholarship, the CollegeBoundfund (CBf) College Savings Program (www.collegeboundfund.org),
and the CBf Five and Ten Matching Grant Program. The Authority is also the
guarantor of the Federal Stafford and PLUS loan programs. For additional
information, contact the Authority by phone at 401-736-1100 or by mail to 560
Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886, or visit the RIHEAA Web page at
www.riheaa.org.
RI Scholarships
RISLA (Rhode Island Student Loan Authority)
offers a free web site that provides information on scholarships available to
Rhode Islanders, from athletic scholarships offered by the Cumberland Youth
Soccer Association to employee scholarships offered by Dunkin' Donuts. The
database can be browsed by category (like academics, civic service, or
ethnicity) or by keyword. The site provides general information about each
scholarship, allows visitors to produce customized letters of inquiry, and
provides links to other Rhode Island resources. Go to
www.rischolarships.com, or follow
links from RISLA's homepage.
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA)
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) is a non-profit state authority
dedicated to providing affordable loans for higher education. RISLA provides
easy, local access to low cost educational funds; helps Rhode Island colleges
and universities to be more financially competitive in attracting and retaining
exemplary students; counsels students and parents on how they can afford higher
education; and provides state-of-the-art loan processing and disbursement
services. Information is available on the Stafford, Parent PLUS, College Bound
loan, RI Family Education, Partnership, and Scholarship
The Rhode Island Foundation
Many donors to The
Rhode Island Foundation have honored their communities, high schools, colleges,
or professions by endowing scholarship opportunities through the Foundation. The
Foundation now manages more than 85 separate scholarship funds. While most
of these are traditional scholarships for high school seniors accepted at a
four-year college or university, others enable high school students to take art
courses, college graduates to attend graduate school, older women to attend or
return to college, and more. The Rhode Island Foundation
Scholarship Directory will
provide you with in-depth information on each of the scholarships, as well as
allow you to search among them for your particular needs.
North Kingstown High School
Home of the
Skippers
150 Fairway Drive
North Kingstown, RI 02852
Guidance Phone: 401-268-6240
Copyright © 2005-2008
Timothy S. Chace
No unauthorized
copying is allowed without prior written permission.
