Preparing for College: Financial Aid Edition

If your child is finishing high school and preparing to go to college, it is never too early to start thinking about how to finance their college education. Most high schools and colleges have counselors who can help you understand what paperwork is due and when, but there are also federal resources available on the Internet.

One place you can go to get information about federal student aid (and many other topics) is ED Pubs. This site was designed to help parents, teachers, and others identify and order free products from the U. S. Department of Education. The site offers more than 6,000 titles that include materials in print, on CD-ROMs, posters, videos, and financial aid products.

ED Pubs can help you order free financial aid publications such as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the FAFSA On The Web Worksheet, and Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid. If you work in a college, high school, library or community agency, you may be able to order multiple copies of these and other titles online at www.fsapubs.org. The Ed Pubs site provides a ton of free financial aid publications and applications that will help you and your student understand Federal Student Aid programs.