Although this could be the most boring blog you’ll read all month, I’m afraid it’s too important to ignore if you’re looking to qualify for scholarships or other financial aid from colleges in the next year or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I get questions several times a week about the process of applying for financial aid, whether a person can even qualify and so forth, so consider the following an abbreviated public service announcement to clear up some of the confusion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Qualifying for money<\/strong>: There are two categories of aid: need-based and merit aid. Need-based aid is based on your financial resources — income, savings, etc. — that the Department of Education, via the FAFSA <\/strong>(Free Application for Student Financial Aid), determines you can use to pay for college.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spoiler alert: bureaucrats and formulas don’t always get it right! (Understatement of the year.)<\/p>\n\n\n\n The other most widely used financial aid application is the CSS Profile<\/strong>. 400+ colleges require it IN ADDITION — not in lieu of — the FAFSA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The main difference between the two is that the CSS Profile is approximately twice as lengthly (and 10 times more complicated) than the FAFSA. It’s used by colleges that have their own resources (mostly private colleges and universities), that’s why it’s more complicated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n