Blog

Understanding the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) may seem like a challenge at first. Once you add the complexity of a special circumstance or  divorce, completing the FAFSA may feel like a down right headache.

Although your situation may seem like receiving financial aid is impossible, don't let it stop you from putting your best foot forward. You are not the only person experiencing this state of affairs and most likely you won't be the last. Here are a  few examples of special circumstances and how to handle them when completing the FAFSA.  

FAFSA season is here, and getting an early start is the best plan of action.

'Tis the season to talk financial aid and the experts from our College Planning Center have been talking about financial aid with students and families, one-on-one, as well as in group presentations at local high schools almost daily since September and are still going strong.

EFC is the acronym for Expected Family Contribution, which answers the question, how much will college cost my family? This is not an easy figure to arrive at, without knowing the factors and figures needed for the formula, but with the help of our EFC Calculator we can walk you through this step-by-step in just a few minutes so you can arrive at an early estimate before receiving your award package.

The RISLA College Planning Center will once again be hosting FAFSA Completion Events across the state of Rhode Island to help students, parents, and adult learners with completing the FAFSA. The FAFSA, formally known as the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the first step to applying for college financial aid. All schools use this application for awarding federal student aid dollars and many also use it for awarding their own institutional funds. EVERYONE should complete a FAFSA to be considered for financial aid.

In simplest terms, the CSS Profile form is an additional requirement for many private schools when applying for financial aid. The CSS Profile administered by the College Board is required by about 400 colleges and universities to determine aid eligibility for non-government financial aid. Click here to see if your school requires a CSS Profile and be sure to check the school’s deadline.

It's time to start applying for financial aid for college. Which means, FAFSA season is here and can be overwhelming to many. So, let’s break this down into the basic need to know facts one-by-one.

FAFSA, FAFSA, FAFSA! If you are applying to college next year, you have likely heard way too much of this acronym. The FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is your gateway to college financial aid. You may be sick of hearing about it, but now is the time to put the FAFSA to work in your favor. 

To increase the completion rate of critical college financial aid forms, particularly from high school seniors in historically underrepresented urban schools, the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) and its College Planning Center today launched a comprehensive grassroots campaign aimed at getting more financial aid to students interested in attending college.