All Financial Aid Articles

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financial aid

FAFSA Deadlines You Need to Be Aware of

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on November 15, 2024
Key Takeaway: When you file FAFSA, the Federal FAFSA deadline (June 30 of the award year) isn’t the only important date to consider. You also need to factor in the College’s FAFSA deadline and the State FAFSA deadlines. These dates vary by institution, state, and program, so check with your school’s and state’s websites to …
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financial aid

What Are Financial Aid Refunds?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 26, 2025
Financial aid refunds are refunds that are given to students when the amount of loan given to a student is more than what the student needs for the cost of education. Here’s how it works. The FAFSA and Financial Aid Packages After you submit your FAFSA, you will receive a financial aid award letter. This …
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financial aid

How Divorced Parents Affect Student Loans

By Morgan StaubLast updated on February 25, 2025
A common proverb reminds us that half of marriages end in divorce. To be more exact, approximately 42% of married couples are divorced. It should be noted that the divorce rate for couples without children is 40% higher than those with children. It’s often said, for good reason, that divorce is hardest on the children. …
Like a gap on a sidewalk, gapping is when a college can't meet the full financial needs of a student.
financial aid

A Guide to Funding the Financial Aid Gap

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on February 27, 2025
Although many schools offer financial aid packages to help make college more affordable for its students, some individuals find themselves unable to cover the entire cost of their education even with these packages. This is what they call a financial aid gap. If a student is in this situation – what are their options? Finding …
How are scholarships and grants similar and different? Scholarships vs. grants
financial aid

Scholarships vs Grants: The Similarities And Differences

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 26, 2025
In your search for financial aid to pay for college, you’ve likely come across the terms “grants” and “scholarships”. In fact, these two terms are often grouped together in most discussions related to financial aid, and there’s a reason for this. Grants and scholarships are the only two types of free financial aid available to …
A student hiking in the hills during the summer.
financial aid

Use Summertime to Search for Financial Aid Opportunities

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 25, 2025
Summer is a great time to relax, catch up on your reading list, play a few video games, or take on a part-time job. Before college starts up again though, you may want to consider using some of your summer to expand your search for financial aid opportunities. Here are a few things you should be …
Overlay text "SAR" against a yellow paper with lines to separate the letters.
financial aid

A Breakdown Of The Student Aid Report

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022
The SAR or Student Aid Report is a detailed document full of abbreviations and numbers. Making sense of it all can be challenging, especially for those who are seeing one for the first time. This short breakdown aims to simplify this document so you can better understand the SAR. EFC EFC stands for Estimated Family …
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financial aid

What Is Your Student Aid Report Telling You?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022
The SAR or Student Aid Report is a document you will receive after you have submitted your FAFSA application. This document is based on your answers to the questions on the FAFSA and includes information regarding the type and amount of financial aid that is available to you from the federal government and the schools …
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financial aid

Why You Should Consider NOT Taking Your Full Student Loan Award

By Morgan StaubLast updated on December 22, 2022
For many students, being awarded financial aid from a school can be a lifesaver. College, as everyone knows, is very, very expensive, and any extra penny helps make it more affordable. However, some decide to forego their full financial award and pay more out of pocket. This may seem ridiculous on the surface, but there …

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