Financial Aid for Community College Students
General Financial Aid Information
Federal, State, and UC Financial Aid Resources
- FAFSA4caster
- FAFSA Workshops
- UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
- UC, State, and Federal Financial Aid Publications
Information for AB 540 Students
General Financial Aid Information
There are endless resources online to help you find money for college. Just beware of places that ask you to pay for information and/or places that ask for your social security number up front. California Student Aid Commission has some resources on how to avoid scholarship scams: Is it a free scholarship? Or a scam? You should also try your local library; many online resources are published in book form (and staying offline when you first get started might be a good idea until you learn how to spot a scam). For libraries on the Dewey Decimal System, look for call number 378 for financial aid books.
For an overview of tax credits and college savings plans, see Paying for College: Tax Benefits and Savings Options from National Association of College and University Business Officers.
I highly recommend reading 20 Insider Strategies to Save Money on College NOW from MeritAid. The e-book offers some very good advice in between quite a bit of not-so-subtle advertisement about the MeritAid website. The one excellent point the e-book makes that I want you to consider is the fact that there are a lot of misconceptions about how much colleges charge for tuition; public colleges (like the UCs) are not necessarily cheaper than private colleges. Find out what you can about what a college charges before you decide not to apply.
The Project on Student Debt, an initiative of the Institute for College Access and Success, has compiled a list of colleges that have "developed financial aid policies that limit or eliminate student loans from financial aid packages, reducing costs for students and families." Take a look at all your options (over 50 colleges listed), but be cautious of other potential shortfalls.
Confused about your financial aid award? Visit Financial Aid Letter to learn how to decode your financial aid package, translate financial aid jargons, and get tips on making college more affordable.
Federal, State, and UC Financial Aid Resources
FAFSA4caster
Federal Student Aid (the people who brought you the ever confusing FAFSA form) has launched FAFSA4caster to help students and parents get an early start on the financial aid process by providing an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.
FAFSA Workshops
Need help with filling out FAFSA? Sign up for one of the FREE California Cash for College workshops near you to get assistance on filling out your FAFSA and Cal Grant GPA Verification Form. Workshops are available from January to the March 2 priority deadline.
UC Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan
Under the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan, transfer students whose family income is below $80,000 will receive enough scholarships and grants to fully cover their UC fees for the first 2 years at the UC. But keep in mind that the expensive part of an UC education is not the fees but the housing and everything else. See the Blue and Gold Opportunity Plan for more information.
UC, State, and Federal Financial Aid Publications
Below is a list of financial aid publications from the UC system, the state of California, and the federal government that will walk you through the basics:
- Financing a UC Education: Tips for Families
- Fund your Future: Free Money for College (from EdFund and California Student Aid Commission)
- Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid (from Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education)
- Fact Sheet - More Ways to Pay for College (from California Student Aid Commission)
Information for AB 540 Students
Undocumented students may qualify for in-state tuition under AB 540; see the AB 540/ Undocumented Student Resource Guide or speak to the UC AB 540 contact person at the UC campus you are interested in attending for more information.
ScholarshipsA-Z maintains a pretty comprehensive list of scholarships for AB 540 students. The IDEAS group at UCLA offers a scholarship handout for AB 540 student that covers all the basic scholarship questions. Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard of California Congressional District 34 puts out a Student Resource Guide that includes several AB 540 scholarships. The Chicano Organizing & Research in Education (CORE) maintains a resource list that also includes some scholarships.
College Financial Aid Policies for AB 540 Students is a home-grown document that has been passed around by teachers and counselors since 2009. It's not a comprehensive list but a place to start if you are considering private or out-of-state colleges.
The search sites below have been vetted by high school and/or independent counselors I know (unless noted otherwise). Keep in mind that no matter how legitimate the search sites are, they cannot keep out fraudsters 100% of the time. Take caution when you apply for scholarships and look around online to verify the legitimacy of the organizations before you submit your personal information. For tips on avoiding scams, see the General Financial Aid Information above.
- BrokeScholar
- College Board Scholarship Search
- College Prowler
- College Scholarships.org
- CollegeNET
- FastWeb
- FinAid!
- GradeFund
- Kaarme.com
- MeritAid
- Monster Learning
- NextStudent
- Pacific Northwest Scholarship Guide from College Planning Network
- ScholarshipExperts
- SuperCollege
- IEFA.org - for international students (NOT vetted)
Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society members have access to more than $37 million in transfer scholarships. See Scholarship Opportunities for more information.
Congresswoman Lucille Roybal-Allard of California Congressional District 34 puts out a Student Resource Guide that includes a long list of scholarships. Deadlines vary depending on the scholarship.
Asian Pacific Fund Scholarships & Awards has a variety of scholarships and awards for students of varying backgrounds and interests. Deadlines vary depending on the scholarship.
Ayn Rand Institute offers a number of essay contests, one of which, Atlas Shrugged Essay Contest, is open to college students. Prizes range from $50 to $10,000. Deadline is in mid-September.
YourLocalSecurity.com Scholarship awards a $1000 scholarship to one qualifying graduating senior high school student or college student with the most well-written blog entry. The topic focuses on a current political issue. Deadline is at the end of December.
Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship provides up to $30,000 per year to around 50 students selected from a pool of applicants nominated by the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Faculty Representative at their two-year institution (students CANNOT apply directly). Deadline is at the end of January.
Southern California Monte Jade Science Technology Foundation offers scholarships to help foster leadership and entrepreneurship among students. Deadline is at the end of January.
The Point Foundation provides financial support through multi-year scholarships, leadership training, mentoring and hope to LGBT students who are marginalized because of their sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression. Deadline is early February.
U.S. Bank Scholarship Program awards up to forty $1,000 scholarships to randomly selected students. Deadline is at the end of March.
The Tang Scholarship awards up to two scholarships totaling up to $15,000 to Asian/Pacific Islander students who are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgender (GLBT) from the Bay Area counties in California. Deadline is April 30.
SatelliteInternetPros.com awards a $1000 scholarship to one qualifying graduating senior high school student or non-graduating college student with the most well-written essay as judged by its staff. Topics to choose from include the future of mobile internet technology, the impact of social networks, network neutrality, and the next big social trend on the internet. Deadline is May 1.
AWeber Email Marketing Scholarship awards a $1000 scholarship to one qualifying graduating senior high school student or non-graduating college student with the most well-written essay as judged by its staff. The topic focuses on the future of email communication. Deadline is May 1.
TYLENOL Scholarship provides several $5,000 and $10,000 scholarships to students who are pursuing healthcare-related education at an accredited institution. Scholarships are awarded based on excellence in leadership, academic performance and community involvement. Deadline is at the end of May.
SunTrust Off To College Scholarship Sweepstakes gives current college student who will be continuing their undergraduate studies in the Fall of 2012 the chance to win a $1,000 scholarship. Only one entry per person for each drawing. One winner will be chosen every two weeks from October 28, 2011 through May 11, 2012.
This page was last updated on Thursday, December 29, 2011 07:17:18 AM PST
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