Paying for Post-Secondary

Resource Alert! BVA Counseling Website

Financial Aid Overview

• How to apply for financial aid
• FAFSA & WASFA
• Different types of financial aid
• Responsible borrowing & repayment
• Merit-based financial aid
• Reading/Comparing financial aid offers
• Interpreting college sticker price

Scholarships Overview

• Scholarships basics
• Types of scholarships
• National scholarships search engines
• Bethel School District & Local Scholarship List
• College-Bound Scholarship
• College athletic scholarship associations
• NCAA athletic scholarships

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**Today’s introduction of financial aid is brief!

For more information, visit the BVA counseling website’s Financial Aid & Scholarship sections**

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Types of Financial Aid

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Types of Financial Aid

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Types of Financial Aid

“Free”

• Grants: need-based money without repayment
• Scholarships: merit or performance-based money without repayment

“Earned”

• Work Study: need-based campus jobs; earnings go toward tuition, fees, education expenses

“Debt”

• Loans: money that must be repaid

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Scholarships

• General
• “Free” financial aid used to cover education-related expenses
• Can be merit-based (awarded for specific talent and/or academic ability) or can be a combination of merit-based and financial need-based
• Come in any amount from $100 to full-tuition awards
• Can be one-time awards, multi-year awards, or renewable awards
• One time Award: given one time (for one year)
• Multi-year Award: scholarship is automatically awarded multiple years
• Renewable Award: you can apply to for the scholarship in future years

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Grants

• “Free” financial aid used to cover education-related expenses
• Financial need-based aid
• Different types/levels: Federal, State, School Grants

Common Types of Grants in Washington

• Federal Pell Grants
• Undergraduate students with financial need who have not earned a degree yet
• Max amount is $7,395 for the 25-26 school year
• Guaranteed to everyone eligible
• Federal Supplemental Education Opportunity Grants (FSEOG)
• Between $100-$4000 a year
• Not all schools offer FSEOG- Not guaranteed to all eligible students
• Washington College Grant (Formerly the State Need Grant)
• Award amount varies depending on the institution you attend
• School (Institution) Grants
• Institutions have their own grants available

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Work Study

• Part-time employment while you are enrolled in school
• Available to undergraduate, graduate, and professional students
• Undergraduate students are paid hourly
• Graduate/Professional students can be paid hourly or by salary
• Available to full-time and part-time students
• Not all schools participate
• Work is usually on campus but sometimes at a private nonprofit organization or public agency
• You cannot work more hours awarded by your Federal Work Study Award

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Loans

• Money you pay back with interest on the amount borrowed
• Federal Student Loans
• Direct Subsidized
• Must demonstrate financial need
• Undergraduate students only
• Department of education pays the interest while you are in school
• Direct Unsubsidized
• Do not have to demonstrate financial need
• Undergraduate, graduate, and professional students
• Interest accrues immediately
• Direct PLUS
• Graduate or professional students or parents of dependent undergraduate students
• Do not have to demonstrate financial need
• Institution Loans
• Some schools have their own loans to offer students
• Private (for-profit) company loans
• Companies provide additional loans for when all other financial aid has been used

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** To qualify for financial aid - you MUST fill out the FAFSA or WASFA! **

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Financial Aid Overview

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Complete school applications

Schools review FAFSA or WASFA & determine aid

Read and compare/contrast your offers

Complete FAFSA or WASFA

Schools mail Financial Aid Award Letters

Accept financial aid at your chosen school

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Financial Aid Myths

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Financial Aid Myths

“I won’t qualify for anything”

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While it’s true that need-based aid is awarded only to students who qualify, most colleges require FAFSA for Merit-based aid (which is not need-based)!

FAFSA is also used to qualify for federal student loans.

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Financial Aid Myths

“I can’t use financial aid for technical college”

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Technical colleges, community colleges, and 2-year colleges award financial aid based on the FAFSA or the WASFA

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Financial Aid Myths

“Registering for the Selective Service signs me up for the military”

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This is required by law for all male students over 18!

This is part of what’s required to file the FAFSA but it is NOT enlisting in the military.

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FAFSA vs. WASFA

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• Students who do not qualify for the FAFSA need to submit the WASFA
• Students only submit one application or the other - you can’t apply for both

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FAFSA

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FAFSA Introduction

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FAFSA: Free Application for Federal Student Aid

• Opens on October 1st**
• First step to applying for ANY type of federal financial aid
• Completing FAFSA gives you access to the largest source of financial aid to pay for technical colleges, 2-year colleges and 4 year Universities.
• Your FAFSA will be used by each school to calculate your financial aid award

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FAFSA: Getting Prepared

• Items Needed
• Your Social Security Number
• Federal Income Tax Return Taxes from this year (filed in 4/2026)
• Steps
• Step 1: Applicant & Guardian apply for FSA ID
• Step 2: Fill out the FAFSA

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Step 1: Federal Student Aid IDs

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Step 1: Create FSA IDs

Site to apply for FSA ID: https://studentaid.gov/fsa-id/create-account/launch

• FSA ID = Federal Student Aid Identification
• Your electronic signature
• Consists of your username & password
• BOTH the student and parent/guardian must apply for their own, separate FSA ID!
• Do NOT use the same email address for both. It will cause an error.
• Allow 24-48 hours for both FSA IDs to be reviewed & fully approved

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Step 2: FAFSA Submission

Site to apply for FAFSA: https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa

• Complete all the required fields & Submit your FAFSA application
• You can link up to 20 schools to your FAFSA at one time
• You can edit schools if you want to add/delete a school from your list.

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Step 3: Afterwards

• FAFSA Submission Summary including your Student Aide Index will be emailed to you

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• There is a different Advisory lesson on Understanding Your Financial Aid Package later on. This will help you read your financial aid letters and compare the offers.

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WASFA

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WASFA: Washington Application for State Financial Aid

• Students who are NOT eligible to apply for the FAFSA can apply for WASFA
• Available for undocumented students and DACA students who live in Washington State

*Click here for an eligibility questionnaire to determine if you’re eligible*

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Whoa! So much info!

Get started on your application and contact Mrs. Wardle or your Advisor with questions!

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