Read pages 39-52 of the Guide.
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
•Grants (such as Federal Pell) are considered  
“gift aid” and do not have to be repaid. PHEAA,  
www.pheaa.org, is available for residents  
of Pennsylvania.
•Scholarships can range from a few hundred dollars 
to the entire cost of your education, and do not need 
to be repaid.
•Loans (such as Federal Direct Loans and private 
student loans) have to be repaid with interest.
•Federal work-study provides you with part-time 
employment on campus.
Familiarize yourself with  
the FAFSA and CSS Profile
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
is available at https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-
aid/fafsa. You must complete and submit this form to 
the U.S. Department of Education to be eligible for all 
financial aid from the federal government, your state, 
and the college you ultimately choose to attend. Many 
colleges also require you to submit the FAFSA to be 
considered for major scholarships. We recommend 
you submit your FAFSA promptly to be considered  
for the best financial aid opportunities available.
In addition to the FAFSA, some colleges and universities  
require students to complete the College Scholarship 
Service Profile (CSS Profile), which collects information  
for financial aid decisions. Unlike the FAFSA, which is 
managed by the U.S. government, the CSS Profile is 
managed by the College Board, which also manages 
the SAT and AP exams. You are eligible to receive 
CSS Profile fee waivers if you are an undergraduate  
student whose family income is less than $100,000. 
The application opens Fall 2026. It is available at 
https://cssprofile.collegeboard.org.
Learn the seven steps to conquer the FAFSA
With your family, look over the FAFSA tips and  
resources on pages 44-45 of the Guide for step-by-
step instructions on completing the FAFSA. Be on alert 
for when the 2026 FAFSA will be available. The FAFSA 
requires taxes from two years ago, so you will need 
your 2024 taxes to file.
Use the net price calculators
Net price calculators are federally mandated to be on  
all college and university financial aid websites to provide 
a financial aid estimate based on cost of attendance. 
Visit http://collegecost.ed.gov/net-price to search  
for different schools’ calculators and to learn more.
Research scholarship opportunities
See pages 51 and 52 of the Guide for a list of  
scholarships and scholarship search engines. 
Step 8: Start Thinking About Paying for College

View this content as a flipbook by clicking here.