The office of Federal Student Aid provides publications, fact sheets, online tools, and other resources to help you prepare and pay for college or career school. Our resources are grouped by the following topics:
Information on College Preparation and the Federal Student Aid Programs
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Information
Loan Information
Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
Hard copies of many of the publications are available for order from the U.S. Department of Education’s Publication Center (www.edpubs.gov) or by calling 1-877-4-ED-PUBS (1-877-433-7827). TTY/TDD callers can use 1-877-576-7734.
To view the Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) files, you must have installed the latest version of the Adobe Reader (free). Installation instructions can be found on the Adobe site.
Information on College Preparation and the Federal Student Aid Programs
See tips on getting ready for college. Learn about the federal student aid programs as well as other sources of financial aid to help you pay for college or career school. Also, learn about the process for applying for and receiving financial aid.
| Resource | English | Spanish | Accessible Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booklets and Brochures | |||
| College Preparation Checklist | Braille | ||
| 2017–18 Do You Need Money for College? The Guide to Federal Student Aid (formerly Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid) | Braille | ||
| 2016–17 Do You Need Money for College? The Guide to Federal Student Aid (formerly Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid) | Braille | ||
| My Future, My Way: First Steps Toward College—A Workbook for Middle and Junior High School Students | Braille | ||
| Federal Student Aid for Adult Students | Braille | ||
| Financial Aid for Graduate and Professional Degree Students | Available only in English | Braille | |
| Comparing Colleges | |||
| Videos and Images | |||
| Financial Aid Process Video | Video | Adjust video settings to view Spanish captioning | |
| Financial Aid Process Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Types of Federal Student Aid Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Types of Federal Student Aid Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Responsible Borrowing Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Budgeting Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Myths About Financial Aid Video | Video | Adjust video settings to view Spanish captioning | |
| Web Pages and Tools | |||
| Checklists for Academic and Financial Preparation | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Career Search | Web Page | Web Page | |
| College Search | Web Page | Web Page | |
| College Scorecard | Web Page | Available only in English | |
| Scholarship Search | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Glossary | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Fact Sheets | |||
| 2017–18 Federal Student Aid at a Glance | |||
| 2016–17 Federal Student Aid At A Glance (formerly “Do You Need Money For College”) | Braille | ||
| Federal Student Aid: Find the Information You Need | |||
| Federal Student Grant Programs | |||
| TEACH Grant Program | Coming winter 2017 | ||
| Federal Student Loan Programs | |||
| Scholarships for Military Families | Coming winter 2017 | ||
| Information for International Students | Available only in English | ||
| Financial Aid and Undocumented Students | |||
| Educational and Training Vouchers for Current and Former Foster Care Youth | |||
| Federal Student Aid and Homeless Youth | |||
| How Your Financial Aid Administrator Can Help You | |||
| Internal Revenue Service fact sheet on education tax benefits—“Students and Parents: Why Form 1098-T Is Important to You” | Available only in English | ||
| Federal Student Aid Eligibility for Students Confined in Adult Correctional or Juvenile Justice Facilities | |||
| Fact Sheets—Early Preparation | |||
| Saving Early = Saving Smart! Watch Your Money Grow With Your Child | |||
| Fact Sheets—College and Career Preparation | |||
| Why Go to College? | |||
| Choose a Career School Carefully | |||
| Choosing a Career | |||
| Other | |||
| Bright Future Native American Poster | Available only in English | ||
| Federal Student Aid bookmark (one file: page 1 is English; page 2 is Spanish) | Braille | ||
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) Information
Get detailed information and help on completing the FAFSA®.
| Resource | English | Spanish | Accessible Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booklets and Brochures | |||
| 2017–18 Completing the FAFSA | |||
| 2016–17 Completing the FAFSA | |||
| 2017–18 EFC (Expected Family Contribution) Formula | Available only in English | ||
| 2016–17 EFC (Expected Family Contribution) Formula | Available only in English | ||
| Forms and Worksheets | |||
| 2017–18 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet | Braille | ||
| 2016–17 FAFSA on the Web Worksheet | Braille | ||
| 2017–18 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | Braille | ||
| 2016–17 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | Braille | ||
| Videos and Images | |||
| Eligibility for Federal Student Aid Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| How to Create an FSA ID Video | Video | Available only in English | |
| FAFSA Overview Video | Video | Adjust video settings to view Spanish captioning | |
| How to Fill Out the FAFSA Video | Video | Adjust video settings to view Spanish captioning | |
| FAFSA and FSA ID Tips for Parents | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| The FAFSA Process Graphic | Image |
Image |
Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Changes to the FAFSA Process for 2017–18 Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| FAFSA: Determining Dependency Status Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| FAFSA Dependency Status Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Who’s My Parent When I Fill Out My FAFSA? Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Simple Steps to Transfer Tax Information Into Your FAFSA Graphic (Information about the IRS Data Retrieval Tool) | Image |
Image |
Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| After the FAFSA: What Happens Next Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Web Pages and Tools | |||
| Online Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Federal School Code Search | Web Page | Web Page | |
| FAFSA Online Help | Web Page | Web Page | |
| FAFSA4caster | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Fact Sheets | |||
| What’s an FSA ID and Why Do I Need One? | |||
| Am I Dependent or Independent? | |||
| Who Is My “Parent” When I Fill Out the FAFSA? | |||
| College Students and Parents: What You Need to Know About the 2017–18 FAFSA® | |||
| The 2017–18 FAFSA®: Get Your Dates Straight | Coming winter 2017 | ||
| 2017–18 FAFSA Updates and Resources Webinar | Webinar Transcript |
Available only in English | |
| Myths About Financial Aid | |||
Loan Information
Learn about federal student loans—what they are, how to get them, and why to get them. Understand your options for repaying a federal student loan.
| Resource | English | Spanish | Accessible Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Booklets and Brochures | |||
| Federal Student Loans: Basics for Students | Braille | ||
| Federal Student Loans: Direct PLUS Loan Basics for Parents | Braille | ||
| Federal Student Loans: Be a Responsible Borrower | Braille | ||
| Federal Student Loans: Repaying Your Loans | Braille | ||
| For Members of the U.S. Armed Forces: What you need to know about your federal student loan benefits | Available only in English | ||
| Videos and Images | |||
| Getting a Federal Student Loan Graphic | Image | Image | Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Comparing Federal and Private Student Loans Graphic | Image |
Image |
Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Repayment: What to Expect Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Repayment: How to Manage Your Student Loans Video | Video | Spanish-captioned video | |
| Trouble Making Your Federal Student Loan Payments? Graphic | Image |
Image |
Text-only version (English) Text-only version (Spanish) |
| Web Pages | |||
| Financial Awareness Counseling Tool | Web Page | Available only in English | |
| Student Loan Debt Collection Assistant | Web Page | Available only in English | |
| Repayment Estimator | Web Page | Web Page | |
| Fact Sheets | |||
| Federal Student Loan Programs | |||
| Why Get a Federal Student Loan? | |||
| Income-Driven Repayment Plans for Federal Student Loans | |||
| Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program | |||
| Direct PLUS Loans and Adverse Credit | |||
| Student Loans (Avoiding Deceptive Offers) | Web Page | ||
| Peace Corps and Repayment of Your Federal Student Loans | Available only in English | ||
Consumer Protection and Financial Literacy
Read important information about protecting yourself from scams and getting the most from your money.
| Resource | English | Spanish | Accessible Version |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fact Sheets | |||
| Choose a Career School Carefully | |||
| Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College | |||
| Federal Student Aid and Identity Theft | |||
| Student Loans (Avoiding Deceptive Offers) | Web Page | ||
| Money Management Checklist for College Students | |||
Braille Publications
Braille and audio publications, in addition to our other publications, are available for order from the U.S. Department of Education’s Publication Center (www.edpubs.gov) or by calling 1-877-4-ED-PUBS (1-877-433-7827). TTY/TDD callers can use 1-877-576-7734.
U.S. Government Websites
Private & Independent Websites
http://www.studentloanborrowerassistance.org