FSA ID is the username and password needed to log-in and submit to FAFSA. Both students and at least one parents (if the student is dependent) will need to make one.

There are four main types of loans that the U.S. federal government offers to students who qualify after filling out the FAFSA:

• Stafford loans: These are offered based on financial need, and you do not need to pass a credit check to receive one. There are maximum borrowing limits for Stafford loans. Stafford loans may be subsidized or unsubsidized.
• Perkins loans: Available to students from families with “extreme” financial need, Perkins loans have fairly generous repayment terms, including lower interest rates and longer grace periods following graduation than other federal loans.
• Parent PLUS loans: These are unsubsidized loans with no maximum borrowing limit that undergraduates can use to bridge the gap between the amount of money they need to pay for school (including living expenses) and the amount available through Stafford loans, scholarships, grants and other financial aid sources. PLUS loans need to be cosigned for by an adult guardian, and a credit check is required.
• Graduate PLUS loans: Very similar to Parent PLUS loans, Graduate PLUS loans do not require an adult to cosign. They are intended for graduate and professional students who are themselves adults.

If you are not awarded sufficient financial aid (including government loans) after submitting the FAFSA, you may want to apply for a private loan. You can get college loans from banks, directly from colleges, and sometimes from other private organizations. SimpleTuition.com and eStudentLoan.com are two sites that let you search for loans from multiple lending agencies. The College Board has a very good information section about loans as well.

Be careful when applying for a private loan. Read the fine print. Remember that lending agencies exist to make money off of the interest they charge you! The federal government offers relatively low interest rates on its loans, but private lenders can and do charge much more. The difference between a loan at a good rate and a loan at a higher rate can be many thousands of dollars over the course of repayment. Experiment with this loan calculator to decide what kinds of loans you can really afford.

One final caution about loans. Missing payments on your loans once the period of repayment begins can really hurt your credit rating. Bad credit makes it much harder to get loans when you need them, for things like a car or house. Having bad credit will also drive up the amount of interest you have to pay on future loans, because lenders see you as a risky investment!

View the student employment section of the ASU website.

Description:On- and off-campus employment opportunities are available to students who wish to work in order to meet education expenses, or believe the experience can be a valuable part of their education. Sometimes students will receive work-study awards as part of a financial aid package, but even if you are not eligible for work-study, many positions are available.

Contact: Call the ASU student employment office at (480) 965-5186, or email them at [email protected].

View the work-study page at the UA financial aid website, or visit the UA Career Services page on student employment.

Description:On- and off-campus employment opportunities are available to students who wish to work in order to meet education expenses, or believe the experience can be a valuable part of their education. Sometimes students will receive work-study awards as part of a financial aid package, but even if you are not eligible for work-study, many positions are available.

Contact: If you have questions about work-study at the UA, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid at (520) 621-1858, or email them at [email protected]. If you have questions about student employment in general, contact UA Career Services at (520) 621-2588, or find them on Twitter @uacareersvcs or on Facebook at UACareerServices.

Description: Students who meet certain academic requirements are eligible to receive these $300 scholarships. The award lasts for two consecutive semesters, and is intended to be used to purchase textbooks.

Eligibility: To be eligible for a Pima Book Scholarship, you must:

1. Be eligible for in-state tuition rates.
2. Have a 3.0 cumulative GPA or a minimum score of 550 on the GED.
3. Have an expected family contribution of between $4,301 and $6,700 on the FAFSA.
4. Not be receiving financial aid from any other post-secondary institution.
5. Not be eligible for Pima Community College staff or dependent tuition waivers.
6. Be registered for a minimum of 6 credits.

Number of Awards: Varies. Scholarships are awarded until funds run out for the current year.

Award Value: $300, awarded once each in two consecutive semesters.

Award Type: Merit-based and financial need-based.

Application Due Date: Usually early June.

Application Process: There is an online application for this scholarship. Visit the scholarship homepage for details, or call (520) 206-4973 with questions.

Description: Pima awards two different types of grants to qualifying students. The Aztec Activity Grant is awarded to students who meet academic requirements and demonstrate a commitment to community service, volunteer and/or student life activities. The Pima Opportunity Grant is awarded to students who meet academic requirements and demonstrate financial need.

Eligibility: Both grants have similar requirements. To begin with, you must:

1. Be eligible for in-state tuition rates.
2. Have a 2.5 cumulative GPA or a minimum score of 450 on the GED.
3. Not be receiving financial aid from any other post-secondary institution.
4. Not be eligible for Pima Community College staff or dependent tuition waivers.
5. Be registered for a minimum of 6 credits.

Other requirements vary. The Pima Opportunity Grant requires that you have an expected family contribution of between $4,301 and $6,700 on the FAFSA. The Aztec Grant requires that you submit a completed application that covers your volunteer work.

Number of Awards: Varies. Scholarships are awarded until funds run out for the current year.

Award Value: Varies. Both grants provide “provide full or partial tuition & fees.”

Award Type: Merit-based and financial need-based.

Application Due Date: Students eligible for the Opportunity Grant will be notified. The Aztec Grant application has several components, each with a different due date.

Application Process: Both scholarships have online applications. However, there are also paper forms to complete as part of the Aztec Grant application. If you have questions about either Student Grant, call (520) 206-4973.

Description: Adelante is a grant program at Pima Community College which provides significant financial awards to male Latino students who meet certain academic and financial requirements. Unfortunately, as of Fall, 2011, the program is on hold and not accepting new applicants, but it’s worth keeping an eye on in case it opens up again.

Eligibility: To be eligible for an Adelante grant, you must:

1. Be a Latino male.
2. Have an expected family contribution of less than $5,273 on your FAFSA.
3. Have accumulated no more than 45 PCC credits prior to beginning the program.
4. Be enrolled in at least six credits for the upcoming semester.

There are additional requirements to continue receiving the award after being selected initially.

Number of Awards: As of Fall, 2011, there are no awards currently available. Adelante grants are limited when available, so eligibility does not guarantee that you will receive one.

Award Value: Up to $4,500 over three semesters for full-time students. Part-time students can receive up to $2,100 over three semesters.

Award Type: Merit-based and financial need-based.

Application Due Date: Not applicable until the program reopens.

Application Process: Not applicable until the program reopens, but call the Adelante program at (520) 206-3021 with any questions.

Many scholarships, grants and other sources of financial aid have specific residency requirements. Most often, these specify that applicants must be either U.S. citizens or legal permanent residents. Students on visas from overseas are often excluded, as are students whose immigration status is in question. You need a social security number to fill out the FAFSA, and not filing a FAFSA will exclude you from consideration for many scholarship opportunities. If you are an undocumented student, the truth is that you face an additional challenge in paying for your college education.

We said that “many” scholarships have residency and citizenship requirements—not all. There are a lot of scholarships that don’t require a FAFSA score, and which do not ask or care about your immigration status. Here are a few places to begin your search:

• Latino College Dollars has a great search engine that lets you search for scholarships by residency requirements, along with other standard scholarship criteria.
• The Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF) offers a law school scholarship. The organization also maintains a list of scholarships that “may not inquire about immigration status or require a valid social security number.” The 2010-2011 list is available here/.
• Microsoft offers several generous scholarships without citizenship/residency requirements for students interested in technology- or science-related majors.
• Arizona State University maintains a page with information about requirements for state scholarships, as well as a list of private scholarships available to undocumented students.
• ScholarshipsAZ is an Arizona-based organization dedicated to making “higher education accessible to all regardless of immigration status.” They maintain a list of scholarships as well as other valuable information. Their blog is also a great resource for students as well as parents and educators looking to support an undocumented student.
• The CollegeScholarships.org article on aid for Hispanic students also includes a section on aid for undocumented students.
• The Geneseo Migrant Center offers several scholarships to students “with a recent or ongoing history of movement to obtain work in agriculture.”
• DREAMActAZ.org is a website that promotes the DREAM Act, a Congressional bill which (if it passes) would give some undocumented students temporary legal rights in the U.S. as they pursue their education. The site has a page with resources for undocumented students.

Need-based scholarships: Need-based awards are almost always made based on the information you submit in your FAFSA. Colleges and universities sometimes offer these kinds of scholarships to cover part or all of your tuition if you would be unable to attend without aid. There are also need-based scholarships available from other organizations, so do some digging!

Athletic scholarships: If you’re likely to be eligible for a college athletic scholarship, you probably have some idea already. Schools with major athletic programs often recruit standout high school athletes to play football, basketball and other sports. If you earn an athletic scholarship, you will probably be required to play well enough to keep your spot on the team while also maintaining a minimum GPA.

Other scholarships: Many private organizations offer scholarships for students who meet specific criteria, such as being from a minority background or being the first student from your family to attend college. These kinds of scholarships are quite common, and you might be surprised at the kinds of things that make you eligible. There are scholarships available for cancer survivors, for being particularly tall or short, and even for being left-handed!

There are also scholarships available for students interested in specific subjects or careers. Degree programs for jobs that are in high demand in some places, like nurses and teachers, often offer more generous financial aid packages. If you’re willing to work in an underserved location for a set period of time, these degrees are sometimes paid for by your school, the government or a local company!

This is not a complete list of scholarship resources. Not even close. But it is a place to get started. If you don’t see information here about scholarships that you might qualify for, don’t give up. There are lots of resources out there! Here are a few further places to look for help:

1. Try doing a Google search for the word “scholarship” together with a word that describes you or one of your interests. For example, search for “cooking scholarship,” “Jewish woman scholarship” or “skateboarding scholarship.”
2. Ask your guidance counselor for help finding scholarships that you could apply for.
3. You’re also welcome to call the Metropolitan Education Commission (that’s us) at 520-670-0055.

Finally, remember that just because you don’t qualify for a scholarship right now does not mean that you won’t next semester or next year. Many scholarships have minimum GPA requirements, or require that you be enrolled in college full-time, or that you be pursuing a specific major. That kind of stuff isn’t set in stone! It’s a good idea to take notes on scholarships even if you don’t plan to apply for them… yet.

Arizona-specific scholarships

The Arizona Community Foundation is a private organization that oversees dozens of scholarship and educational grant programs. There are so many that they created a separate website specifically to let you sort through them. Use the search tab to narrow things down based on your GPA, college major, or keywords that describe what you’re looking for.

The University of Arizona recently launched “Scholarship Universe,” a search engine that asks you questions and determines which UA scholarships you are eligible for. The UA also maintains a page linking to dozens of free scholarship search tools, including several that focus on scholarships for Arizona residents.

Arizona State University has a search engine of their own, focusing on scholarships for ASU students. Some ASU scholarships aren’t listed in this search tool, so make sure to also check the list of scholarships available from each ASU college.

ScholarshipsA-Z. Their goal is to make higher education accessible to all, regardless of immigration status.

Make sure to visit our page on financial aid resources from Arizona colleges and universities, as well as our page on Arizona government financial aid programs.

AZ Assurance Scholars Program

Go to: www.assurance.arizona.edu

The Arizona Assurance Scholars Program at The University of Arizona (UA) is a financial aid program for low-income students in the state of Arizona. The program is designed to assist students by providing both financial aid and support services to successfully attain their bachelor’s degree. The Arizona Assurance Program partners with college and departments on campus to provide scholars with comprehensive programming from their freshmen year through their senior year so that they are able to have a smooth transition into and out of the university upon graduation. The mission of Arizona Assurance is achieved through first-year transition programming, mentoring, leadership, and career development, graduate/professional school preparation, and cultural enrichment.

Barack Obama Scholars

Go to: students.asu.edu/obama

President Barack Obama represents outstanding academic achievement, thoughtfulness, a long record of service to others, inspired leadership and a commitment to building strong communities across this country. He has set new standards for what is possible in America and encouraged people around the world to pursue their dreams. In Arizona, we have many motivated, high achieving students. For some of them, a lack of family resources has been a barrier to higher education. With the right support, these students can be successful, build better communities and create positive change. Arizona State University is committed to providing these opportunities.

Flinn Foundation Scholarship

Go to: www.flinnscholars.org

Flinn Scholars receive an unparalleled package for undergraduate study: free Tuition and room and board; funding for study abroad; mentorship from brilliant faculty and exposure to world leaders; and fellowship in an extraordinary community of current and alumni Scholars. The program, in partnership with Arizona’s three state universities, provides enriched educational offerings that expand Scholars’ life and career options and create the kind of stimulating, intellectually challenging environment that students might find at the nation’s most selective colleges.

Dorrance Foundation Scholarship

Go to: www.dorrancescholarship.org

The Dorrance Merit Scholarship was established by Bennett and Jacquie Dorrance at the Arizona Community Foundation in June of 1999. The original gift supported 10 Arizona public university students. Twelve years later, the Dorrance Family Foundation sustains four distinct scholarship programs. What is now known as the Dorrance Scholarship Programs supports as many as 150 recipients at Arizona’s three public universities and at South Mountain Community College. The generosity and foresight of the Dorrances have made the scholarship one of the most influential, privately-funded educational initiatives in the state. The Dorrances scholarship is a model for educational philanthropy and is a signature program at the Arizona Community Foundation. In 2012, scholarships will be offered to Big Island high school graduates who will attend the University of Hawaii-Hilo.

The Gates Scholarship

Go to: www.thegatesscholarship.org/scholarship

The Gates Scholarship needs your help in identifying America’s top minority students who may be eligible for an exciting, new scholarship.

• The Gates Scholarship (TGS) is a highly selective, full scholarship for exceptional, Pell-eligible, minority, high school seniors. The scholarship will be awarded to 300 student leaders each year, with the intent of helping outstanding minority students who come from low-income backgrounds realize their maximum potential.
• Scholars will receive funding for the full cost of attendance* that is not already covered by other financial aid and the expected family contribution, as determined by the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
• TGS also provides Scholars with various online support services designed to help them excel in their degree programs, graduate, and make a successful transition to their chosen careers. These include mentoring, academic support, career and internship guidance, advice, and job opportunities.
• Gates Scholars will also be connected to a network of accomplished peers that they can tap into for support and advice.

*Cost of attendance includes tuition, fees, room, board, books and transportation, and may include other personal costs.

College Success Arizona

Go to: www.collegesuccessarizona.org

College Success Arizona is building public will for college completion and providing a unique combination of scholarships and mentoring that increase college graduation rates among low-income and first-generation students across the state.

Pima Community College Scholarships

Go to: http://pima.edu/paying-for-school/scholarships-grants/index.html

In addition to other scholarships (found on the website), some of the scholarships provided for PCC students are:

The Chancellors’ Recognition Scholarship:

The Chancellor’s Recognition Scholarship is awarded to well-rounded graduating high school students from Pima County. If you have shown academic competency and made contributions in several aspects of academic and civic life you may be eligible. The deadline for 2013-2014 applications is April 26, 2013.

The Adelante Program

The Adelante Program is a performance-based award program that provides selected, eligible Latino male students with financial support and specialized student services.

All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarship

All-Arizona Academic Team Scholarships are available to qualified students from each PCC campus. Applications are generally accepted October – November.