b'Step 8:Start Thinking About Paying for CollegeRead pages 39-50 of theGuide.By planning early, you will be prepared to pursue a financial aid award that will make attending college possible for you. Understanding how to break down college costs and apply for financial aid is critical when choosing a college.Learn about the types of financial aid Some colleges and universities require students to Grants (such as Federal Pell) are considered complete the College Scholarship Service Profile gift aid and do not have to be repaid. PHEAA, (CSS Profile), which collects information for financial www.pheaa.org, is available for residents aid decisions. You are eligible to receive CSS Profileof Pennsylvania. fee waivers if you are a first-year undergraduateapplicant whose parents live in the United States.Scholarships can range from a few hundred dollarsThe application opens Fall 2024. It is available at to the entire cost of your education, and do not needhttps://cssprofile.collegeboard.org.to be repaid.Loans (such as direct loans and private studentLearn the seven steps to conquer the FAFSAloans) have to be repaid with interest. With your family, look over the FAFSA tips andFederal work-study provides you with part-timeresources on pages 44-45 of the Guide for step-by-employment on campus. step instructions on completing the FAFSA. Be on alert for when the 2024 FAFSA will be available. You will Familiarize yourself with need your 2023 taxes to file. the FAFSA and CSS ProfileUse the net price calculatorsThe Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov. You must completeNet price calculators are federally mandated to be onand submit this form to the U.S. Department of all college and university financial aid websites to provide Education to be eligible for all financial aid from a financial aid estimate based on cost of attendance. the federal government, your state, and the collegeVisit www.collegecost.ed.gov/net-price to searchyou ultimately choose to attend. Many colleges alsofor different schools calculators and to learn more.require you to submit the FAFSA to be consideredfor major scholarships. We recommend you submitResearch scholarship opportunitiesyour FAFSA promptly to be considered for the bestSee pages 50 and 61 of the Guide for a list offinancial opportunities available. scholarships and scholarship search engines.'