What Types of Assistance Can You Receive if You Apply for Financial Aid—A Guide

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What Types of Assistance Can You Receive if You Apply for Financial Aid?

If you’re a college student or you’re planning on becoming one, you should gather all the important info about the expenses you may encounter and ways to cover them. Since the best way to make the costs of enrolling and studying less expensive is to apply for financial aid, we’re here to supply you with all the specifics.

Are you eligible for financial aid? What types of assistance can you receive if you apply for financial aid? These are some of the questions we’ll answer for you!

to help you learn all about financial aid and appeal low offers or rejected applications with ease!

The Types of Financial Aid for College Explained

Financial aid comes in several different forms, and it can be federal, state, or institutional. The most common financial aid types for undergraduate and graduate students are:

  1. Grants
  2. Loans
  3. Scholarships
  4. Work-Study programs

Grants

Grants are a type of financial aid designed to help students cover the expenses of their studies without having to repay the money later on. Depending on the financial aid program that the student applies for and their financial circumstances, a certain amount of money will be disbursed to help with study costs.

Loans

Loans are the money you can borrow to enroll at your dream school, but you have to repay them (and the interests that accrue) after a certain period. You can check with your school about the available repayment options and inquire about other useful info about loans.

Scholarships

Scholarships are offered by nonprofit and private organizations to help students based on their academic success or financial situation. They are essentially free money provided by these organizations to assist deserving students during their studies.

Work-Study Programs

Federal work-study programs allow students to earn money to cover the expenses of their studies. Students can apply for work-study programs to work part-time jobs either on or off campus.

Types of Financial Aid for College—Programs

If you’re wondering what financial aid programs you can apply for, check out the table below for some of them:

Financial Aid TypeDoes It Have To Be Repaid?Programs
GrantsNo
  • Federal Pell Grant
  • Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)
  • Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant
  • Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant
LoansYes
  • Direct Subsidized Loans
  • Direct Unsubsidized Loans
  • Direct PLUS Loans
  • Direct Consolidation Loans
ScholarshipsNo
  • Merit-based
  • Financial need-based
Work-StudyNo
  • On-campus
  • Off-campus

Eligibility Criteria for Different Types of Financial Aid for College

There is a set of general requirements you have to meet to apply for any type of financial aid program. You have to:

  • Be a U.S. citizen or an eligible noncitizen
  • Not be convicted of the possession or sale of illegal drugs while you were receiving federal student aid
  • Be enrolled in an eligible program as a regular student
  • Register with the Selective Service System (if you are a male and not currently on active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces)
  • Have a high school diploma or a GED certificate
  • Keep satisfactory academic progress
  • Have a valid Social Security number (except for students from the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Republic of Palau, and the Federated States of Micronesia)
  • Not be in default on a federal student loan or owe a refund on a federal student grant

Some financial aid programs require you to meet additional requirements. You should visit the Federal Student Aid website or your school’s website to find relevant info about each financial aid program.

You can count on our help if you need more info regarding the financial aid application deadlines or you’re wondering how long you can keep getting aid.

DoNotPay Can Help You Appeal a Rejected Financial Aid Application!

Your financial aid application may not be accepted right away. There are various reasons behind this, such as an error in your application or failure to meet one of the necessary requirements. No matter what the reason is, DoNotPay can help!

We can help you appeal a denied financial aid application or a low financial aid offer in a matter of minutes! We’ll even save you from wasting time and create a financial appeal letter on your behalf. Here’s what you should do to initiate the process:

  1. Pick the Appeal for More Financial Aid feature
  2. Answer a few questions about the college you want to enroll at and your family’s financial situation

DoNotPay will create your appeal letter promptly and send it to the financial aid office of the school you choose!

If you want to look for more financial aid, you can see what other schools have to offer. Check out the table below and check out some of the schools DoNotPay can help you with:

Princeton University Financial AidRutgers University Financial AidMIT Financial Aid
Columbia University Financial AidUniversity of California, Los Angeles Financial AidUniversity of California, Davis Financial Aid
Cornell University Financial AidUniversity of California San Diego Financial AidUniversity of California, Santa Cruz Financial Aid
Stanford University Financial AidUniversity of California, Berkeley Financial AidNew York University Financial Aid
Harvard University Financial AidPurdue University Financial AidYale University Financial Aid

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