Who Qualifies For Financial Aid?

Most students qualify for some kind of aid. Even students whose parents make a lot of money and have a lot of assets often qualify are able to get scholarships or grants.

Students with very low incomes almost always get a range of financial incentives. Poorer students can get Pell Grants of up to $5000, need based aid from their institutions of higher learning, state based grants, work-study grants, and low interest loans.

Middle class students also qualify for financial aid. They too can get grants from their states and from their colleges or universities. Other forms of aid for middle class students include loans and work study programs.

Who qualifies for financial aid includes the top wage earners as well. Wealthier students are often surprised that they too often get aid when they apply for it. Whether it is grants from the school or non-subsidized loans from the government, the price of college can be discounted even for wealthier students.

You shouldn't overlook merit based aid when you are asking the question of who qualifies for financial aid either. Scholarships come in many forms. Students with good grades and high test scores can get academic scholarships. Athletes can often get aid in exchange for playing on teams. Musical and dramatic students can get arts based grants. And, there are a variety of "odd" aid packages including scholarships for left handed people and scholarships for red heads.

Almost everyone is able to get some reduction on their tuition by just applying for the various programs available. Who qualifies for financial aid? Maybe you!