All Financial Aid Articles

Student thinking about appealing his award letter
financial aid

7 Steps To Appealing An Award Letter For More Aid

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on July 26, 2021
When a college accepts your application, they will send you an award letter (also known as an offer letter). This will detail the amount of money a school is willing to give you in financial aid. If you think you didn’t get enough financial aid, you can appeal for more. Just to be clear, you …
college award letters
financial aid

College Award Letter Mistakes To Avoid

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on May 26, 2021
An award letter contains detailed information about how much financial assistance that college is offering you. It includes all grants, scholarships, student loans, and work-study programs that you’re being offered. Along with the breakdown of the different types of financial aid, the award letter also contains the respective award amounts. Reviewing award letters can be …
College offer letters
financial aid

The Importance Of Understanding Your College Offer Letters

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on August 19, 2021
Once a college accepts your application, the first thing they do is to put together a customized offer letter. These offer letters contains all information about financial aid awards the school is willing to offer you. Understanding the different components of each offer letter is key to being able to make an informed decision about …
College student researching financial aid on her laptop at campus.
financial aid

What Is Financial Aid?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on May 31, 2021
College fees can be shockingly expensive. High school seniors may feel overwhelmed by all the cost talk. Fortunately, there is some good news. Asking yourself “what is financial aid?” Let’s break it down. What is Financial Aid? There are several forms of financial aid to help cover the cost. The five main types of financial …
dependent and independent students in college
financial aid

How Does FAFSA Dependency Work?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on August 18, 2021
Filling out the FAFSA is the first step to getting financial aid for college. This is not an easy form to fill out but it’s absolutely crucial that you do it. Without the FAFSA you may lose out on certain types of financial aid. One of the more complex questions on this application is related …
Student renewing his FAFSA
financial aid

What You Need To Know About the FAFSA Renewal Process

By College Raptor StaffPublished on November 5, 2020
Filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is vital to qualify for low-cost financial aid towards college. You won’t be eligible for federal or state financial aid without filing this application. Many scholarships and grants also require recipients to have filed the FAFSA. The information on the form determines your eligibility for …
A student using the FAFSA app on her phone.
financial aid

A Walkthrough Of The FAFSA App – myStudentAid

By College Raptor StaffPublished on October 26, 2020
The FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid is notoriously time-consuming. It asks for all sorts of information with special emphasis on your financial details. While filling out the application, you have to make doubly sure that all the information you provide is accurate. However daunting the prospect, filling this form is important in …
Pencil erasers to edit mistakes
financial aid

Can I Edit The FAFSA After I Submit It?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on August 30, 2021
Yes, you can edit the FAFSA after you’ve submitted it. And, you should edit it if any information is inaccurate or outdated. When filling out the FAFSA, you are required to enter information that’s correct as of the day you sign the application. However, this information could change any time. You may move and have …
A student filing her FAFSA on her laptop
financial aid

2021-2022 FAFSA Updates You Should Know About!

By Allison WignallLast updated on August 13, 2021
October is here which means the FAFSA has arrived. This year, for the 2021-2022 school season, the FAFSA has a few updates. While there aren’t as many changes as previous years, it’s still important to know what is different. Read on to discover what major changes the FAFSA form has in store. $0 EFC Threshold …
Student doing remote work study on her laptop.
financial aid

How COVID Affects Work Study Jobs

By College Raptor StaffPublished on May 8, 2020
In the wake of the coronavirus pandemic and the stay-at-home orders, colleges across the U.S. have shut down their campuses. Faculty are conducting virtual classes from their own homes. These total campus shut-downs are preventing students from performing their work study jobs and getting paid. Many students depend on this additional income to help them …