• Student must be a U.S. citizen or eligible non-citizen
• Student must complete a FAFSA to establish need
• Student must not be in default on a federal loan or owe a repayment on a federal grant
• Student must be registered with the Selective Service, if required to register
• Student must make satisfactory qualitative and quantitative academic progress
• Student must have a high school diploma, GED or hold an approved certificate of equivalency
• Student must be fully accepted as a regularly enrolled student in an approved degree or certificate program
• Student must not have been convicted of certain drug related offenses

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How to Apply ~ The FAFSA

A student who meets the general eligibility requirements listed above is usually eligible for some sort of financial aid, whether that be loans, work-study, grants or a combination thereof. The application process for federal financial aid requires the student to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students may complete a paper FAFSA, but it is strongly recommended to complete the application online at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Online applications take 1-3 days for the government to process, while paper applications can take up to four weeks to process. Paper and online applications and instructions are available in both English and Spanish versions.

Students may complete their FAFSA no earlier than January 1^st prior to the beginning of the award year, and no later than their last day of enrollment or June 30^th ending the award year (which ever occurs first). Therefore the application period for 2005-06 is January 1, 2005, to June 30, 2006; the school must receive the processed results of a student's FAFSA from the US Department of Education by the later of the student's last day of attendance in all classes for the 2005-06 year, or June 30, 2006. Students need to complete a new FAFSA for each award year in which they are enrolled.

The FAFSA application is a free application. There are companies, however, who charge students and families to help them complete their FAFSA. These are legitimate businesses, but please be aware that free help is available from the US Government as well as from the Financial Aid Offices of the schools to which you apply.

The information collected on the FAFSA includes demographic and identifying information, as well as income and financial information, and information about the number of people in student's household, and many other items that are used to help determine the kinds of financial aid for which a student is eligible.

Once a FAFSA has been processed by the federal government, the student will receive the FAFSA results electronically (if the FAFSA was completed electronically) or in the mail (if a paper FAFSA was completed). The FAFSA results are called a Student Aid Report (SAR). When you receive your SAR, electronically or via paper, please review all the answers carefully to make sure that no mistakes were made. If you find errors that were made, you can correct your SAR online at www.fafsa.ed.gov, by using the paper SAR you received, or by contacting your Financial Aid Office to resolve the errors.

Sometimes, due to early application deadlines, students or parents need to use estimated tax figures on their FAFSA in order meet the deadline. If you have not yet completed your taxes for a given year, you can use estimated figures on your FAFSA. Be sure to correct your FAFSA information once you have completed your taxes.

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Dependency Status

The FAFSA helps the Financial Aid Office determine whether the student is a Dependent or an Independent student. A student's dependency status is based on the answers to seven questions on the FAFSA. A "Yes" answer to any one question makes the student Independent; "No" answers to all seven questions means the student is Dependent.

• Was the student 24 years of age or older on December 31 of the most recently completed calendar year? (for the 2005-06 Award Year, this would be as of 12/31/04)
• At the beginning of the Award Year, will the student be enrolled in a master's or doctorate program? (The "Fifth Year" teacher-credentialing program does not qualify as a graduate program for the purposes of this question.)
• As of the date the FAFSA is completed, is the student married?
• Does the student have children who receive more than half of their support from the student?
• Does the student have dependents other than his or her spouse or children who live with the student, and who will receive more than half of their support from the student, from the date the FAFSA is completed until the end of the Award Year (6/30/06, for the 2005-06 Award Year)?
• Are both of the student's parents deceased, or is/was the student a ward/dependent of the court until the age of 18? (Foster Youth should seek help from the Financial Aid Office if they are unsure how to answer this question!)
• Is the student a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces?

A "Yes" answer to one or more of these questions means that the student is an Independent Student, and does not need to provide financial information about his or her parent(s). A "No" answer to all of these questions means that parental information and signature is required to complete the FAFSA, whether or not the parent plans to contribute to the student's education. If you have questions about this, please contact the Financial Aid Office

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Verification

Approximately one-third of all FAFSA applications are selected by the federal government for a process called "Verification". This means that the Financial Aid Office is responsible for collecting certain income information and documents from the student and their families to verify that the information on the FAFSA matches the actual data on the documents. Applications are randomly selected for verification; however certain inconsistencies may put a particular application at a higher risk for selection. Please make sure to complete your FAFSA carefully to avoid mistakes. If your application is selected for verification, you will be notified on your SAR, and your Financial Aid Office will notify you that you need to submit additional documentation. Examples of such documentation include a Verification Worksheet, on which household size and untaxed income information can be collected, and copies of your Federal Tax Form 1040, 1040A or 1040EZ. Your Financial Aid Office may also request copies of your W-2 or 1099 forms, as well as any Schedules that may have been attached to your tax return.

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Financial "Need"

Once your FAFSA has been completed, and any required corrections or verification have been performed, the Financial Aid Office can calculate your financial "need", which is the final step in determining what kinds of financial a student can receive. While financial aid professionals realize that a family?s true financial situation is not necessarily accurately reflected by the information on the tax return, there also needs to be some sort of standard to insure that all applicants are evaluated in an equitable manner. The need analysis formula establish by the government takes into account the student's "Cost of Attendance" and their "Expected Family Contribution" to determine the student's "Need" for financial aid.

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Cost of Attendance/Budget

In financial aid lingo, the terms Cost of Attendance and Budget are often used interchangeably. This Budget, however, reflects not just the amount of money that the student will need to pay directly to the College or University, but also includes a number of other items that it is estimated the student will need to live and study for the period of time she or he is in school for that year. For example, a student may not be living in on campus housing, but one of the components of the student's Cost of Attendance is still Room and Board. The allowable components of the Budget can include: Tuition and Fees, Room and Board, Books and Supplies (including computer costs), Transportation, Miscellaneous/Personal Expenses (such as shampoo, deodorant, etc.), Dependent Care Expenses (for child care while student is in class or studying), Student Loan Fees, and Study Abroad Expenses. The Financial Aid Office will determine your Cost of Attendance based on the program in which you are enrolling.

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Expected Family Contribution

The U.S. Congress has established a formula to calculate an "Expected Family Contribution" (EFC). Many families mistakenly interpret this EFC as a direct dollar amount that they will need to pay out of pocket for their students' education. Instead, it is more helpful to think of the EFC as an index which is used by the Financial Aid Office to determine what kinds of aid a student may receive. The formula used to calculate the EFC includes all of the income information listed on the FAFSA, as well as the number of people in the household, the number of those people attending College/University (excluding parents of Dependent students). Certain asset information, state tax and cost of living are all considered, and the age of the older parent (Dependent students only) is used to determine how much of the family's income needs to be set aside for retirement.

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Budget minus EFC equals Need

Once the Financial Aid Office has determined the Budget and the EFC, they can determine the student's need by subtracting the EFC from the Budget. The resulting "Need" is the maximum amount of Need-Based Aid that a student can receive.

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The Award Letter

Each institution to which the student applies will send the student an Award Letter. This letter should explain what kinds of aid are being offered to the student and the amounts of each kind of aid, as well as any additional information that the student may need to complete in order to accept the offered awards.

If the student is trying to decide which of two or more schools to attend, an important comparison is the award letter comparison. Since the financial aid awards are offered based on the Budget, and not on the direct costs of the institution, students should also get information about the actual costs to attend. This information should be available from the Admissions Office, the Financial Aid Office, the Student Accounts Office or the Bursar's Office. In choosing between two or more schools, you'll want to compare the actual costs minus the financial aid offered to determine your "out-of-pocket" expense. You may also want to contact the Financial Aid Office to determine if there are additional loans or other funds available to the student and/or parent that were not offered on the initial award letter. It is not an uncommon practice for the award letter at a private institution to change a few times before the student actually enrolls in classes. Most colleges and universities will automatically offer all of the Gift Aid that they can before putting a loan on a student's award letter. Some institutions will not put loans on at all if the student indicated on the FAFSA that he or she is not interested in student loans. In many cases, some loans will be available to the student and/or parent, but you may need to request more information from the Financial Aid Office.

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Federal Financial Aid Programs

The following programs are the most common financial aid programs that are offered at colleges and universities in the United States. Specific institutions may participate in any or all of these programs. Check with your school's Financial Aid Office to find out which programs apply to that institution.

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Federal Pell Grant

The main federal grant program is the Federal Pell Grant. These annual grants ranging from $400 to $4050 per year are based on the student's EFC and their enrollment status (full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, less-than-half-time). Federal Pell Grants are available to undergraduate students seeking their first bachelor's degree, as well as to individuals enrolled at least half-time in certain post-baccalaureate teacher certification or licensure programs.

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Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)

Institutions that participate in the FSEOG Program are given an amount of money by the federal government to distribute among the students who have exceptional financial need (as determined by the federal needs analysis and school-specific awarding criteria), who are enrolled in undergraduate programs, who have not yet received their first bachelor's degree, and are receiving a Federal Pell Grant. Award amounts vary by institution, but are not to exceed $4000 per year. Because FSEOG funds are extremely limited, schools often have priority filing deadlines, and they often give amounts well below the $4000 maximum so as to distribute funds to more students. Check with your college or university to determine their awarding criteria.

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Federal  Work-Study

Both undergraduate and graduate program students may be eligible for the Federal Work-Study Program. To obtain funding under this program, a student must work at a job (on- or off-campus jobs are usually available) that is approved through the Financial Aid Office for Federal Work-Study. Contact your Financial Aid Office for listings of job offerings. Award amounts vary, and students will receive a paycheck, as in any other job, which can be put toward their school costs.

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Federal Perkins Loan Program

Institutions that participate in the Federal Perkins Loan Program have a limited amount of funding that is available to award to graduate or undergraduate students with exceptional need, as determined by the federal needs analysis. Award amounts vary up to $4000 per year. Students do not have to make payments on this loan as long as they are in school on at least a half-time basis, or during the 9 month grace period after the student drops below half-time. This loan does not accrue interest while the student is in school, and is at a fixed 5% interest rate once the student goes into repayment. Repayment period is up to 10 years. Students may prepay all or any part of a Federal Perkins Loan at any time without penalty.

Deferments/Forbearances of payment are available for periods of enrollment at half-time or greater status, economic hardship, temporary total disability or for low-income individuals; contact your Financial Aid Office for more information.Full or partial loan cancellations may be available for full time service as a teacher in certain schools, nurses or medical technicians in certain areas, certain child or family services agencies, certain Head Start preschool programs, qualifying law enforcement or corrections officers, military service, or volunteer service in the Peace Corps or Americorps^{*VISTA programs}. Contact your Financial Aid Office for more information or to determine your eligibility for Federal Perkins Loan funds.

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Federal Stafford Loan Program

All students who meet the general eligibility requirements discussed above are eligible for loans in the Federal Stafford Loan Program. Federal Stafford Loans are available from either the federal government, via the William D. Ford Direct Lending Program, or from private lenders/banks (e.g. Citibank, Educaid, SallieMae, etc.); the school determines whether funds are received from the government or from private lenders. From the student's perspective, the main difference between the two is to whom the payment check is made out.

There are two kinds of Federal Stafford Loans:

• Subsidized Loans ~ The federal government pays all of the interest while the student is enrolled at least half-time, as well as during grace periods and periods of deferment. Need-based.
• Unsubsidized Loans ~ The student is responsible for all interest on the loan. Non-need-based.

The main terms of Federal Stafford Loans are as follows:

• No payments required while the student is enrolled at least half-time
• Variable interest, not to exceed 8.25%, changed annually on July 1^st
• 7/1/05 - 6/30/06 ~ Interest on Unsubsidized Loans during In-School and Grace Periods = 4.70% (no interest accrues on Subsidized Loans during these periods)
• 7/1/05 - 6/30/06 ~ Interest on Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans in Repayment = 5.30%
• Prepayment of all or any portion of the loan without penalty
• Repayment period up to 10 years, unless loans are consolidated, or extended payment plans chosen, when repayment period can be extended to up to 30 years, depending on amount owed and type of repayment plan selected.
• Loan fees of up to 4% deducted by lender prior to disbursement mean that you may receive slightly less than the amount you borrowed
• Annual amount awarded varies depending on year in school:

	Dependent Undergraduate Student	Independent Undergraduate Student & Dependent Students w/ Parents Denied PLUS Loans
1st Year (Freshman)	$2625	$6625 ~ (no more than $2625 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
2nd Year (Sophomore)	$3500	$7500 ~ (no more than $3500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
3rd Year (Junior)	$5500	$10,500 ~ (no more than $5500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
4th Year(Senior)	$5500	$10,500 ~ (no more than $5500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
5th Year (Teacher Credential Program)	$5500	$10,500 ~ (no more than $5500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)
M.A./M.S./PhD(Graduate / Professional Programs)	n/a	$18,500 ~ (no more than $8500 of this amount may be in subsidized loans)

• Aggregate loan limits (maximum total debt from Stafford Loans when you graduate):
  • Dependent Undergraduate = $23,000
  • Independent Undergraduate, and Dependent Undergraduates with Parents Denied PLUS Loans = $46,000, of which, no more than $23,000 may be in subsidized loans
  • Graduate and Professional Students = $138,500 of which, no more than $65,500 may be in subsidized loans (including loans received for undergraduate study)
• Deferment and Forbearance options are available for a wide variety of reasons; check with your lender to see if you qualify.

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Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS)

The Federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) is available through both private lenders and the federal government, as with the Stafford Loans; the school determines whether funds come from the government or from lenders. The PLUS is available to undergraduate Dependent students only.

• Any biological or adoptive mother or father may apply for a PLUS. Additionally, a step-parent may apply for a PLUS if that person's income was taken into account when determining the student's EFC on the FAFSA. A legal guardian is not considered a parent for any federal financial aid purposes.
• Credit based loan; adverse credit history may prevent parent from borrowing. If a parent is denied a PLUS, the Dependent student is treated like an Independent Undergraduate student for loan purposes and is eligible for additional Unsubsidized Stafford Loan funds
• Debt to income ratio is not considered
• Repayment generally begins 60 days after the loan is fully paid out, however, some private lenders offer options for delay of payment while student is in school.
• Variable interest, not to exceed 9.00%, changed annually on July 1^st
  • 7/1/05 - 6/30/06 ~ Interest on PLUS is 6.10%
• Prepayment of all or any portion of the loan without penalty
• Repayment period up to 10 years, unless loans are consolidated, or extended payment plans chosen, when repayment period can be extended to up to 30 years, depending on amount owed and type of repayment plan selected.
• Loan fees of up to 4% deducted by lender prior to disbursement mean that you may receive slightly less than the amount you borrowed

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U.S. Department of Veteran's Affairs

If you (or your spouse) are a veteran, or if you're a dependent of a veteran, there may be veteran's educational benefits available. Check with your school's VA Administrator or Financial Aid Office, check online at www.gibill.va.gov, or call 1-888-GIBILL-1 (1-888-442-4551).

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California State Financial Aid Programs

To find more comprehensive information about the financial aid programs offered through the State of California, visit: http://www.csac.ca.gov/doc.asp?ID=19. Each state has its own programs and criteria. Since Bethany University is located in the State of California, we are most familiar with the California programs, and will only offer information on these. If you are from a state other than California, please contact your state student aid commission.

All California State financial aid programs are open only to California residents.

• The residency status of unmarried students under the age of 18 in the year immediately prior to the March 2nd deadline is based on the residency of a parent or non-parent adult directly responsible for the student. To qualify, a non-parent adult must have had continuous direct care and control of you for at least two years prior to the application cycle deadline. If a parent has been a legal California resident for one year immediately prior to the application cycle deadline, or if the student has lived for two years with a responsible non-parent adult and that adult has been a legal California resident for at least one year immediately prior to the application cycle deadline, then the student is considered a California resident. If your parents are living overseas, you're considered a California resident if you're a minor and have been living under the direct care and control of a California resident for at least two years prior to the application cycle deadline, or if your parents have maintained their California residency during their absence from the state.
• All married students, regardless of their age, and all unmarried students 18 or older, must establish their own residency. If you'll be 18 on or before the application cycle deadline, you must have lived in California for at least one year immediately before this date to be considered a California resident. You also must be in the United States legally and be able to establish U.S. residency based on your status with the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service.

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The Cal Grant Program

Cal Grant awards are state funded monetary grants given to students to help pay for college expenses. These awards do not have to be paid back. To apply for a Cal Grant, the student must submit a FAFSA and a verification of GPA no later than March 2nd of each year. Some high schools and colleges automatically submit their students' GPA to the State, but it is the student's responsibility to confirm with his or her school that his or her GPA has been submitted.

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Cal Grant A

Cal Grant A helps with undergraduate tuition and fees at public and independent California colleges, and at some occupational and career colleges. Cal Grant A is only for coursework in programs at least 2 academic years in length. Cal Grant A is both a need-based and a merit-based grant. This means that in addition to meeting the financial criteria, students must meet the academic criteria. Cal Grant A is a renewable award for up to four years, depending upon the student's grade level when the Cal Grant A is first awarded.

For the 2005-06 award year, the Cal Grant A income and asset ceilings are as follows:

Family Size	Income Ceiling	Asset Ceiling
Dependent Students & Independent Students w/ dependents other than a spouse	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant A	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant A
Six or more	$80,400	$53,800
Five	$74,500	$53,800
Four	$69,600	$53,800
Three	$64,000	$53,800
Two	$62,500	$53,800
Independent Students
Single, no dependents	$25,500	$25,600
Married, no other dependents	$29,200	$25,600

• Entitlement Award ~ Every graduating high school senior who has at least a 3.0 GPA, who meets the financial and academic requirements and who applies on time will receive a Cal Grant A award.
• Competitive Award ~ Students who graduated high school one or more years prior to the start of the academic year in which they are applying may apply for a Cal Grant A Competitive award. Selection is based upon a composite score calculated by the California Student Aid Commission that takes into consideration the family?s income, parents' education levels, GPA, time out of high school and other factors, such as whether the student comes from a single-parent household or is a former foster youth.
• Community College Reserve Grant ~ If you receive a Cal Grant A, but attend a California Community College first, your award will be reserved for up to three years until you transfer to a four-year college, if you continue to qualify. If you list a California Community College before a four-year California college on your FAFSA, it will be assumed the community college is your first choice. If you receive a Cal Grant A, it will be placed in reserve for your first year unless you transfer to a tuition or fee-charging college and activate your award. When you transfer, be sure to let your school know you have a reserve grant.
• California Community College Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant ~ High school students who graduated July 1, 2000, or after, and go to a California Community College may receive a Cal Grant A award to attend a four-year college. You're guaranteed an award if you have at least a 2.4 community college GPA, meet the admissions requirements for the qualifying four-year college, meet the Cal Grant eligibility and financial requirements, apply by March 2 of the award year and are under age 24 as of December 31 of the award year. Students who received a Cal Grant within a year of graduating from high school aren't eligible. To learn more, contact your school's transfer center or financial aid office.

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Cal Grant B

Cal Grant B helps with undergraduate tuition and fees at public and independent California colleges, and at some occupational and career colleges, as well as a living allowance while attending these institutions. Cal Grant B is only for coursework in programs at least 1 academic year in length. Cal Grant B is both a need-based and a merit-based grant. This means that in addition to meeting the financial criteria, students must meet the academic criteria. Cal Grant B is a renewable award for up to four years, depending upon the student's grade level when the Cal Grant B is first awarded.

For the 2005-06 award year, the Cal Grant B income and asset ceilings are as follows:

Family Size	Income Ceiling	Asset Ceiling
Dependent Students & Independent Students w/ dependents other than a spouse	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant B	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant B
Six or more	$44,200	$53,800
Five	$40,900	$53,800
Four	$36,600	$53,800
Three	$32,900	$53,800
Two	$29,200	$53,800
Independent Students
Single, no dependents	$25,500	$25,600
Married, no other dependents	$29,200	$25,600

• Entitlement Award ~ Every graduating high school senior who has at least a 2.0 GPA, meets the financial and eligibility requirements and applies on time will receive a Cal Grant B Entitlement award.
• Competitive Award ~ Other eligible students who have at least a 2.0 GPA may apply for a Cal Grant B Competitive award. Selection is based on a composite score that takes into consideration your family's income, parents' educational level, GPA, time out of high school and other factors, such as whether you come from a single-parent household or are a former foster youth.
• California Community College Transfer Entitlement Cal Grant ~ High school students who graduated July 1, 2000 or after, and go to a California Community College may receive a Cal Grant B award to attend a four-year college. You?re guaranteed an award if you have at least a 2.4 community college GPA, meet the admissions requirements for the qualifying four-year college, meet the Cal Grant eligibility and financial requirements, apply by March 2 of the award year and are under age 24 as of December 31 of the award year. Students who received a Cal Grant within a year of graduating from high school aren't eligible. To learn more, contact your school's transfer center or financial aid office

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Cal Grant C

Cal Grant C awards assist with tuition and training costs at occupational or vocational programs. The award includes an amount for books, tools and equipment. If you're planning to attend a school other than a California Community College, you also may receive a tuition award. Funding is available for up to two years, depending on the length of the program. To qualify, you must enroll in a vocational program at a California community or independent college or vocational school that is at least four months long. If eligible for the award, you'll receive a Cal Grant C Supplement application in mid-April, which must be completed and returned by May 15. Supplements are scored based on your work experience, educational history and vocational aptitude.

For the 2005-06 award year, the Cal Grant C income and asset ceilings are as follows:

Family Size	Income Ceiling	Asset Ceiling
Dependent Students & Independent Students w/ dependents other than a spouse	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant C	Amounts above these are not considered for Cal Grant C
Six or more	$80,400	$53,800
Five	$74,500	$53,800
Four	$69,600	$53,800
Three	$64,000	$53,800
Two	$62,500	$53,800
Independent Students
Single, no dependents	$25,500	$25,600
Married, no other dependents	$29,200	$25,600

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Cal Grant T

This program, established for future teachers of grades Kindergarten through 12, is not currently being funded by the State of California.

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Other State of California Financial Aid Programs

Assumption Program of Loans for Education APLE

The APLE program is a program that helps K - 12^th grade teachers pay back their student loans in exchange for service in certain designated teacher shortage areas. Although limited funding was available in 2003-04 and 2004-05, the availability of funding for 2005-06 has not yet been determined by the State of California. Please contact your Financial Aid Office or www.csac.ca.gov if you have questions about APLE.

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Graduate Assumption Program of Loans for Education (Graduate APLE)

The Graduate APLE program was not funded for new participants for the 2003-04 or 2004-05 academic years. For future funding information, please check www.csac.ca.gov.

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Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program

The Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship Program is a federally funded program designed to promote student excellence and achievement. These scholarships are designed to recognize exceptionally able students who show promise of continued academic excellence and are awarded solely on the basis of merit.

During the 2005-2006 academic year, scholarship recipients will receive up to $1,500. Continued funding is entirely supported by Federal funds and, as such, is subject to availability of federal funds each year. Depending on the availability of Federal funding, the scholarships may be renewed up to four years for enrollment in an accredited U.S. postsecondary institution.

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Child Development Grant Program

The Child Development Grant Program (Program) is a need-based grant designed to encourage students to enter the field of child care and development in a licensed children's center. Students who plan to enroll at least half-time in coursework leading to a Child Development Permit as teacher, master teacher, site supervisor or program director, are eligible to apply through the institution they plan to attend. To receive funding, students must sign a Service Commitment Agreement stating they will provide one year of full-time service in a licensed children's center for each year they receive the grant.

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Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents Grant Program (LEPD)

The Law Enforcement Personnel Dependents Grant Program provides need-based educational grants to dependents and spouses of: California peace officers (Highway Patrol, marshals, sheriffs, police officers), Department of Corrections and California Youth Authority employees, and permanent/full-time firefighters employed by public entities who have been killed in the performance of duty or totally disabled as a result of an accident or injury caused by external violence or physical force incurred in the performance of duty. Grant awards match the amount of a Cal Grant award and range from $100 to $9,873 for up to four years.

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California Chafee Grant Program

The California Chafee Grant Program gives free money to current or former foster youth to use for vocational school training or college courses. Students wishing to apply for the California Chafee Grant Program must complete their FAFSA as well as a California Chafee Grant Program Application, which is available at www.chafee.csac.ca.gov. Contact the California Student Aid Commission for more information

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Alternative/Private Education Loans

Many lenders offer alternative or private education loans outside of the government funded programs. The terms of these loans vary widely, as do the qualification criteria. Most are credit based, but students who have no credit or poor credit can qualify with a credit-worthy co-signer. Your Financial Aid Office can provide you with a list of lenders offering these loans.

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Institutional Financial Aid Programs

Many educational institutions offer scholarships, grants and discounts to their students for a variety of reasons, including academic achievement, involvement on athletic teams, musical performance, or departmental scholarships. Check with the Financial Aid Office to see what programs are available.

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Privately Funded Financial Aid

There are a great many scholarships available through private organizations. While not always widely publicized, students who spend a little time researching scholarships, may find themselves lucky enough to become the recipient of one.

A word of caution: there are a number of scholarship scams that operate at any given time. If a potential scholarship donor is asking for information about your bank account numbers, your Social Security Number, or other identifying information, it may be wise to check up on the donor before releasing this info. You can check with the Better Business Bureau, with the US Department of Education, or with your school?s Financial Aid Office to help you verify the legitimacy of a particular scholarship donor.

Scholarships may be available from any of the following kinds of organizations. While no one can guarantee that you'll receive any scholarship you look into, we can pretty much promise that if you don't apply, you won't receive much! Good luck in your search!

• Your high school; check with your guidance counselor for advice
• Your church
• Civic and fraternal organizations (YMCA, 4-H Club, Elks Club, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Kiwanis, Jaycees, the Girl or Boy Scouts, etc.). Check with your city's Chamber of Commerce for a detailed listing of organizations operating in your area.
• Large businesses or corporations in your area may offer scholarships. Corporations like Walmart, Target, and CocaCola all offer scholarships
• Many large companies and labor unions offer scholarships to the dependents of their employees. Check with your parents' employers to see if their companies offer any programs.
• Ethnically-centered organizations like the NAACP, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund and others
• Organizations connected with your field of interest: American Medical Association, American Bar Association, National Education Association

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