Many parents feel that education after high school is simply out of reach financially. You might think that your children can't go because you afford it. That's where financial aid comes in!

Financial aid is money to pay for college that is not provided by parents. This money comes from federal, state, college, and private sources. When people talk about financial aid, you may hear words like grants or scholarships, tax credits, work-study and loans. Grants and scholarships are "free" money--you don't have to pay it back. Federal tax credits reduce the amount of income tax you pay. Federal work-study is a job awarded to a student to help pay for college. Loans are money that you do have to pay back.

You can find out more about how to pay for your child's education after high school from these helpful sites at the Department of Education:

The Student Aid Portal Web site from the Federal Student Aid Programs is very helpful. Good links to a lot of resources within the Department of Education. Funding Your Education provides an overview of the Federal Student Aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. The Student Guide has more detailed information on these programs.

  Another good source within the Department of Education is the Office of Postsecondary Education's Students' page. Here, you'll find links to federal student aid information, tax credits for education, college costs, and more.

Community Resources

FinAid is an electronic encyclopedia for financial aid questions. There's something for everyone.

fastWEB is a free Internet scholarship search. Scholarships are "free" money. Well, here is a place students can look for that money! There are many scholarship resources on the Web that will cost money. This one won't!