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If you are heading to college, listen up. Financial aid can prevent you from paying a big part of that big price tag, and knowing what the process entails will make applying a little less painful! So, you want to know if you qualify, what types of aid are available, and how to apply to receive aid? Well, you came to the right place! We've compiled an infographic (see below) with all the important information you need to know regarding financial aid.

If you take a step back and examine the full financial aid process, from FAFSA to repayment, you’re faced with a dizzying array of information and options. Important choices, unknowable outcomes, and enough industry language and confusing acronyms to make your head spin!

Financial aid awards aren’t written in stone. They are designed by the school to meet your needs while balancing the needs of other students, and sometimes they aren’t what you had hoped for. But never fear, if you feel like you need more aid to make a school work for your family budget, you can always try to appeal the award. It doesn't always work, but if you have good reason and documents to support your request, schools are usually willing to take a second look.

Years of studying in high school, hours prepping for standardized tests and perhaps even a little cajoling to get an all-star letter of recommendation have finally paid off.

Your child has gotten a plump letter from her first-choice school and she's ready to make the trek. There's only one snag - the college financial aid package that that school's offering you is less generous than you were hoping for.

Can you still afford to send your child to that school? Should you wave off your child's plans to pack up all of her stuff and head to the dorms? Do you have to accept every financial aid reward letter as is?

Now that the college acceptance letters are pouring in, the waiting game is over. Getting accepted to college is a great honor that generates lots of excitement. However, once you come down from cloud nine, it's time to make some serious decisions.  Here are some tips on how to make the right college enrollment decision.

Once you finally receive your child's college financial aid award letters in the mail, you may feel emotions like relief and excitement. The financial aid award letter contains information about the aid that you are eligible to receive on a state and federal scale and also includes funds directly awarded by the college. The format of award letters widely differ making it difficult to find comparison. 

Here are some tips to help you interpret your financial aid award letters.