Financing Your Education

Financing Your Education

  • The College Place.com  [opens in a new window]- Financing and scholarship information

  • Federal Student Aid (FSA)  [opens in a new window] - The U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs are the largest source of student aid in America, providing nearly 70% of all student financial aid. Help is available to make education beyond high school financially possible for you or your child. The information provided here is designed to assist you in your college planning. It provides you with access to and information about the products and services that you will need throughout the financial aid process. Also, the Federal Student Aid Information Center has a toll-free number, available to you as well as to students, at 1-800-4-FED-AID. The TTY number is 1-800-730-8913. If you're calling from outside the US and can't access 800 numbers, you may call +1-319-337-5665.

  • Financial Aid & Scholarships - page developed by the GEAR UP staff containing links to many financial aid and scholarship resources.
  • FinAid!  [opens in a new window] - The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid

  • The Virginia Department of Eductaion Division of Instruction Student Resources  [opens in a new window] - Help with financing.

  • Scholarships, Financial Aid and Student Internships from the US Department of State  [opens in a new window] - Help with financing.

  • Sallie Mae Fund Scholarships and Information  [opens in a new window] - Help with financing.

  • Kohl's Kids Who Care® Program  [opens in a new window]- The Kohl's Kids Who Care® program recognizes young people who volunteer in their communities. This year, Kohl's will award more than $100,000 in scholarships to kids ages 6-18.

  • Report on Getting Ready to Pay for College  [opens in a new window] - Using data from Parent and Youth Survey of the 1999 National Household Education Surveys Program (NHES: 1999), the National Center for Educational Statistics released, "Getting Ready to Pay for College: What Students and their Parents Know About the Cost of College Tuition and What They Are Doing to Find Out". The report studies what college bound students and their parents know about the cost of going to college as well as how their knowledge of costs affects preparation for college. It examines whether parents have begun to save for their children's education, gathered information on financial aid, and knew about various tax credits to assist in offsetting costs. The report also looks at the conservations students have with their parents, teachers, and counselors regarding college costs, college requirements, and the availability of financial aid.
    To view this report please visit the NCES website at     http://nces.ed.gov/pubs2003/2003030.pdf (pdf)  [opens in a new window]

  • Scholarship For Service  [opens in a new window] - Parents may be interested in advising their aspiring college students of this new OPM program, "Scholarship For Service," that offers college funding in return for a period of employment by the student after graduation. The program is funded through grants awarded by the National Science Foundation.
    The program has been designed to increase and strengthen the cadre of federal information assurance professionals to better protect the government's critical information infrastructure. It provides scholarships that fully fund the typical costs that students pay for books, tuition, and room and board while attending an approved institution of higher learning.
    Additionally, participants receive stipends of up to $8,000 for undergraduates and $12,000 for graduate students. While still in school, students funded for more than a year will also serve a paid internship at a federal agency. The agency may offer students other paid employment while they are on scholarship if it does not interfere with their studies.
    Information on the SFS program is available at www.sfs.opm.gov      [opens in a new window]

  • Smart529  [opens in a new window] - Qualified West Virignia state tuition program which offers West Virginians tax advantaged prepaid tuition and college savings options.
  • Students Helping Students® Scholarship Contests  [opens in a new window] - We run a scholarship contest for high school and college students in the Fall and Spring of each year. The winner of each contest recieves a $500 college scholarship.

  • West Virginia HEPC Student & Educational Services Page  [opens in a new window]
  • Wired Scholar - The Planning for College Destination  [opens in a new window]
  • West Virginia Financial Aid Site  [opens in a new window] - West Virginia Site to Apply for Financial Aid On Line
  • The West Virginia Treasurer's Office  [opens in a new window] - Offers a variety of options for college saving.