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'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.

Many college-bound students and their families have fallen for the dangerous myth: "I won't qualify for aid so I'm not going to apply." The reality is, everyone should file the FAFSA, even if they think they may not qualify. The FAFSA is absolutely free to fill out and it can give families money to help cover the rising cost of college. Below is a quick rundown of what you could be eligible for by filing the FAFSA.

Don't leave free money on the table!!

October 1 has come and gone, which means it's time to fill out the FAFSA for the 2019/20 academic year! Creating an FSA ID is the very first step to take in applying for financial aid. An FSA ID is a username and password that allows students and parents to access federal student aid systems and "sign" the FAFSA online. Both the parent and student need one in order to file the FAFSA. For a run down of common FSA ID mistakes to avoid, check out the video below!

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 uses this application for awarding federal student aid dollars and many also use it for awarding their own institutional funds.