Financial Aid: The First Three Steps

What this is

An orientation to the financial-aid process and the documents typically involved.

Aid is often left unclaimed because families assume they will not qualify or cannot complete the forms.

Federal aid forms open annually; submitting early generally improves access to limited funds.
Students in kinship care, foster care, or living apart from a parent may have special filing pathways — ask the school's financial-aid office.
Keep copies of any documents submitted.
Aid offers can be compared side by side; the largest number is not always the best offer.

Identify who in the family will help complete the aid form and put a date on the calendar.

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