It is important that students understand all the financial aid options available during his or her college decision-making process. In addition to college application deadlines, individual colleges and Federal and state programs have application deadlines for financial assistance that must be met in order to be considered for all available financial aid. Financial Aid refers to the wide variety of programs that help students and families pay for college or graduate school.
More than 15 million students are enrolled in postsecondary study in the United States. Over half of these students receive some form of financial aid.