Money for College

Scholarships for Seniors at G. Ray Bodley High School

Click here for a list of scholarships now available in the GRB Guidance Office.  PLEASE NOTE THE DEADLINES for submitting completed applications.

	Scholarships.com - a free and valuable resource for finding money for college, with more than 3,000 scholarship sources worthup to $3 billion. Scholarships.com's privacy practices have been approved by both TRUSTe and BBB Online.
	Fastweb.com - a comprehensive scholarship service.  There is no cost to use this service.  The student simply fills out the profile information and submits it to fastweb with his or her e-mail address.  Throughout the year fastweb will e-mail the student about available scholarships that match the profile information.
	SchoolSoup.com - a free resource for college scholarships and searches. Their site states that "SchoolSoup.com is a member of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA). As stated in our privacy policy we do not sell student's names and other personal information to third parties making SchoolSoup.com the best and safest place to search for scholarships and college information on the internet."

Federal, Need-based Programs

FAFSA - The Free Application for Federal Student Aid
The FAFSA is the form needed to apply for the federal government's financial assistance program for college students, based on financial need.  You should access this site to get information or to fill out your application on-line.  The form is based on the your income tax information for the calendar year prior to the year in which your son or daughter plans to attend college.  Do not complete the form until January 1 of the year your child will attend.  Remember, it is a free application - do not confuse it with other "FAFSA" sites that charge.
PIN (Personal Identification Number) To sign the form you will need to apply for Personal Identification Numbers (PIN) which will be sent via email within a few days of applying.  You can apply for your PIN numbers any time.
Worksheet - Click here to access this helpful "FAFSA on the Web Worksheet" before filling out the FAFSA.

New York State Financial Aid Programs

HESC.com - Higher Education Services Corporation.  HESC administrates New York State's financial assistance programs for college students.

NYMentor.com - a career and college planning site for New York State students administered by HESC.

General Financial Aid Information

Finaid.org - the most comprehensive financial aid site of its kind.  Learn about the multiple types of financial aid from grants to loans.  There is no charge to use the site.

Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid

A free publication from the Department of Education that can be accessed by  linking to their site or by calling 1-800-4-FED-AID.

Financial Aid Night Presentation

Click here for the PowerPoint slides that Kathy Flaherty of SUNY Oswego, presented on Wednesday, December 12, 2007 at G. Ray Bodley HS.  The presentation was intended for students entering college in the 2008-09 school year.

Savings and Rewards Programs

UPromise.com - earn a percentage of you expenditures at some of the stores you may shop regularly for college expenses by registering your credit/debit cards at this free site.

NYsaves.org - New York's 529 College Savings Program.

Cautions regarding Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams

Each year parents and students fall prey to scholarship and financial aid scams.  Unscrupulous companies may attempt to lure consumers by making promises that are fraudulant or by charging fees for information that is generally available to everyone for free.  The Federal Trade Commission cautions consumers to look for some of these tell tale lines:

• "The scholarship is guaranteed or your money back."
• "You can't get this information anywhere else."
• "I just need your credit card or bank account number to hold this scholarship."
• "We'll do all the work."
• "The scholarship will cost some money."
• "You've been selected by a 'national foundation' to receive a scholarship"
• "You're a finalist" in a contest you never entered.

You can find more information at the Federal Trade Commission's web site.