Financial Aid

Financial aid is an important part of the postsecondary planning process. The Counseling Department hosts a Financial Aid Night every fall, and we strongly encourage families to attend to learn more about the process. Please see below for a link to that presentation, as well as other important information and resources.

FINANCIAL AID BASIC INFORMATION & APPLICATIONS

Family FAFSA Guide - This guide for students, famililes and caregivers is designed to: 

• Provide a FAFSA overview
• Offer a step by step guide to completing the FAFSA
• Demystify common questions and preconceptions about the FAFSA
• Summarize aid opportunities

CHESLA Presents: Financial Aid Basics, Winter 2022-  CHESLA (Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority) is a non-profit state agency created to help students and their families finance the cost of higher education. This presentation describes: What is CHESLA?, Choosing a School to Attend, Applying for Financial Aid, Understanding your Financial Aid Award Letter, Covering the Full Cost of Attendance, F.A.Q.’s, and Additional Financial Aid & College Prep Resources 

Financial Aid Night Presentation, Fall 2021 - Julie B. Savino of Sacred Heart University provides a wealth of information about the sources of financial aid, financial aid applications, and the methodology underlying the distribution of aid.

Frequently Asked Questions - Review these frequently asked questions, which include how to get started on financial aid applications, how much they cost, which documents are needed, what happens after applications are submitted, and much more information.

FSA ID - Before beginning a FAFSA application, the student and at least one parent need to create their FSA IDs.

FAFSA - Begin your application at this secure government website.

CSS Profile - This application is needed by some private colleges and universities. Click here to see a list of which institutions require the CSS Profile.

UNDERSTANDING FINANCIAL AID AWARDS

The following resources provided by Southern Connecticut State University are helpful in understanding financial aid awards:

• Breaking Down Your Award Letter  
• Award Letter Comparison Tool
• Steps to Take after Receiving the Award Letter

College Board’s Big Future Section includes the following resources:

• Information about Paying for College
• Financial Aid Tools and Calculators
• Tool to Compare Financial Aid Awards
• Student Loan Calculator

PLANNING FOR COLLEGE COSTS

FAFSA4caster - This tool will help you understand your options for paying for college. After inputting some basic information, you’ll be given an estimate of your eligibility for federal student aid.

OTHER RESOURCES

Barnumforcollege.com - The Video Tools and Client Resources tabs contain several helpful resources.

Chesla - Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority

CHET - Connecticut Higher Education Trust & Connecticut's 529 College Savings Plan 

Connecticut Department of Education - Student Financial Aid Information and Resources

Connecticut Office of Higher Education - Paying for College Brochure

Debt.org - Information about college-related financial decisions

FastWeb - A source of local, national, and college-specific scholarships 

Federal Student Aid - U.S. Department of Education's Federal Student Aid (FSA) programs

FinAid - A comprehensive and informational site that offers students insight on how to finance their education

Sallie Mae - Will help you plan for college, apply for federal and private/alternative student loans, and manage your loans online

Student Loans - This tool allows you to find and compare loans from top lenders.

Tuition Break - NEBHE's Tuition Break program, the New England Regional Student Program (RSP), enables thousands of New England residents to enroll at out-of-state New England public colleges and universties at a discount. Students are eligible for the RSP Tuition Break when they enroll in an approved major that is not offered by the public colleges and unversities in their home-state.