Grants, the FAFSA, work-study, federal loans and the aid offer that puts them together.
See the articlesTopics
Browse by topic
Food assistance, campus pantries, housing contracts, first rentals and help with utility bills.
See the articles
Your options for health insurance as a student, and the health services a campus runs.
See the articles
Education tax credits, Form 1098-T, banking, credit and a budget that lasts the term.
See the articles
Campus jobs, internships, your first pay stub, your rights at work and the career center.
See the articles
Software your school pays for, lower-cost internet and phone service, devices and account safety.
See the articles
Student parents, independent status, disability services, veterans, foster youth and caregivers.
See the articlesEvery article
The full list
70 items
2 min read
The FAFSA, step by step
What the form asks for, who has to sign it, and what the schools see once you press submit.
2 min read
How grants work and who awards them
Federal, state and school grants, how each one is decided, and when one has to be paid back.
2 min read
How Federal Work-Study works
A work-study line on your aid offer is a chance to earn a paycheck, and here is how to turn it into a job.
2 min read
Subsidized and unsubsidized federal loans
The two Direct Loans most students are offered, how their interest works, and how to borrow only what you need.
2 min read
Reading a financial aid offer line by line
Sort each line into money you keep, money you earn and money you repay, then work out what is left to pay.
2 min read
Asking the aid office to take a second look
When your family's finances have changed since the tax year on the FAFSA, the aid office can review your case.
2 min read
State grants and the dates they keep
Each state runs its own grants with its own deadline, and some hand out funds until they run out.
2 min read
Finding scholarships without paying anyone
Free places to look for scholarships, the warning signs of a scam, and how to keep your applications organized.
2 min read
Keeping your aid from one term to the next
Satisfactory Academic Progress, the three things schools measure, and what to do if you fall short.
2 min read
Emergency grants and short-term help on campus
Ways a college can help when an unexpected cost threatens your ability to stay enrolled.
2 min read
How SNAP treats college students
The student rule, the exemptions that open the door, and what to bring when you apply at your state SNAP agency.
2 min read
What a campus food pantry offers
What you are likely to find on the shelves, how a visit works, and the other food help a pantry can point you toward.
2 min read
Meal plans and cooking for yourself
How campus meal plans are built, what cooking on your own really takes, and how to weigh the two for your schedule.
2 min read
WIC for students who are pregnant or parenting
Who WIC is for, what it provides, and how a student parent can apply through a local clinic.
2 min read
Reading a campus housing contract
The clauses that matter most in a residence hall agreement, from cancellation terms to break housing and damage charges.
2 min read
Renting off campus for the first time
Leases, deposits, roommates and rental scams, explained for a student signing a first apartment lease.
2 min read
What to do when your housing falls through
Steps to take when a lease ends badly, a roommate leaves or you lose your place mid-term, and the offices that can help fast.
2 min read
Help with heating, cooling and utility bills
LIHEAP, utility payment plans, shutoff protections and weatherization, for students paying their own power and heat.
2 min read
How housing fits into your cost of attendance
How schools set the food and housing allowance, why it differs by where you live, and how refunds reach your landlord.
2 min read
What a campus basic needs office does
The help a basic needs center offers with food, housing, utilities and benefits, and how to start a conversation there.
2 min read
Staying on a parent's health plan
How dependent coverage works until 26, what happens far from home, and when to plan the next step.
2 min read
How student health insurance plans work
What a school-sponsored plan covers, how it is billed, and the terms to read before the term starts.
2 min read
Medicaid and college students
How states decide on Medicaid for students, how a parent's tax return can matter, and where to apply.
2 min read
Marketplace coverage when you are a student
How HealthCare.gov and state marketplaces work for students, when you can sign up, and how help with premiums is set.
2 min read
Waiving your school's health plan
How the waiver process works, what schools check, and the deadline that keeps the charge off your bill.
2 min read
What the campus health center covers
The everyday services a student health center offers, which ones may cost extra, and how billing works.
2 min read
Counseling services on campus
How to book with your school's counseling center, what stays confidential, and where to call or text in a crisis.
2 min read
Dental and vision care as a student
Where dental and eye coverage comes from for students, and lower-cost places to get a cleaning or an eye exam.
2 min read
Paying for prescriptions as a student
How formularies, generics and pharmacy networks affect what you pay, and the questions to ask at the counter.
2 min read
Health coverage when you study in another state
How networks, Medicaid and marketplace rules change when your school is across a state line.
3 min read
The two education tax credits, side by side
How the American Opportunity Tax Credit and the Lifetime Learning Credit differ, and how to see which one fits your year.
3 min read
Reading Form 1098-T
What each box on the tuition statement from your school means, and why its numbers are a starting point rather than the answer.
2 min read
When scholarship money counts as income
Scholarships and grants are often tax-free, but the part spent on housing, food or travel can be taxable. Here is how to sort it.
2 min read
The student loan interest deduction
How interest paid on a student loan can reduce taxable income, who can take the deduction, and where to find the amount you paid.
2 min read
Filing your taxes without paying for software
Two IRS options and a volunteer service that let many students file a federal return at no charge, and how to avoid surprise fees.
2 min read
Who claims you on their tax return
How the IRS decides whether a parent can claim a college student as a dependent, and why it changes who takes the education credits.
2 min read
Choosing a first bank account
What to compare between banks and credit unions, the fees that cost students most, and how a school refund fits in.
2 min read
Building credit carefully in college
How a credit history starts, the steady habits that build it, and the free tools for checking your reports and protecting them.
2 min read
Budgeting one term at a time
Plan money by semester or quarter, since aid arrives in lumps and costs do not, with a simple way to stretch a refund across the weeks.
2 min read
What to do with a refund from your school
Why a credit balance refund appears, how and when the school pays it, and how to decide whether to keep, budget or return it.
2 min read
Finding a job on campus
Where campus jobs are posted, which offices hire students, and the paperwork you fill in on your first day.
2 min read
Paid and unpaid internships
How federal law treats unpaid internships, what academic credit costs, and the questions to ask before you say yes.
2 min read
Reading your first pay stub
Gross pay, net pay, the taxes in between, and how the W-4 you filled in decides what is held back.
2 min read
How what you earn affects next year's aid
Why this year's paychecks show up on a later FAFSA, how student income and savings are counted, and what to do if income falls.
2 min read
What the career center can do for you
Resume reviews, practice interviews, job fairs and alumni contacts, and how to make the most of one appointment.
2 min read
Job scams aimed at students
Fake checks, reshipping jobs and upfront fees, how each one works, and where to report an offer that looks wrong.
2 min read
Your rights at a part-time job
Minimum wage, overtime, pay for every hour worked, and the offices that take wage complaints.
2 min read
Co-op programs and alternating terms
How co-op schedules work, what a work term can change for enrollment and aid, and what to settle before you start.
2 min read
Writing a first resume with little experience
What to include when your work history is short, how to describe projects and campus roles, and how to keep it to one page.
2 min read
Gig work, side jobs and taxes
How freelance and app-based income is taxed, what the 1099 forms are, and how self-employment tax works in general terms.
2 min read
Software your school may already pay for
Campus licenses often cover writing, statistics and security software. Here is how to find yours and what happens when you leave.
2 min read
Lower-cost home internet options
Many internet providers run reduced-price plans for households in public assistance programs. Here is what to compare and ask.
2 min read
Lifeline phone and internet service
A long-running federal program that lowers the monthly cost of phone or internet service, one discount per household.
2 min read
Buying a laptop for school
Check what your program needs, compare refurbished and campus store options, and ask whether aid can account for the cost.
2 min read
Borrowing a laptop or hotspot from campus or the library
Short and term-long loans of laptops, hotspots and chargers are common. Here is how they work and what to watch for.
2 min read
Protecting your student accounts
Your school login, email and FSA ID hold grades, aid and refunds. Here is how to keep each one in your hands.
2 min read
Phishing messages aimed at students
Fake refund notices, job offers and account warnings follow the school calendar. Here is how to spot them and what to do.
2 min read
Using campus and public Wi-Fi safely
How to pick the right campus network, spot a fake hotspot, and handle banking or aid forms on a shared connection.
2 min read
Lowering textbook costs
Renting, buying used, library reserves, open textbooks and inclusive-access opt-outs all cut the cost of course materials.
2 min read
Accessibility tools built into the devices you already have
Read-aloud, dictation, captions, magnification and focus settings come with most phones and computers at no extra cost.
3 min read
Childcare help for student parents
Campus childcare grants, state assistance and the aid budget line that can cover care while you study.
3 min read
What makes a student independent on the FAFSA
The short list of questions that decide whether the form needs a parent's information.
2 min read
Asking for a dependency override
How to ask the aid office to treat you as independent when contact with your parents is impossible or unsafe.
2 min read
Accommodations for students with disabilities
How college accommodations are requested, what documentation helps and how aid rules fit around a lighter course load.
2 min read
Education benefits for veterans and their families
The main GI Bill programs, how to apply through the VA and why the school certifying official matters.
2 min read
Support for students who were in foster care
Independent status on the FAFSA, state education vouchers and campus programs built for students from foster care.
2 min read
Studying while caring for a relative
Ways to set up your schedule, aid and campus support when you look after a parent, partner, child or sibling.
2 min read
Transit passes and getting to campus
Student transit passes, reduced fares, shuttles and how commuting costs show up in your aid budget.
2 min read
Taking a leave of absence or withdrawing
What to ask the aid office before you step away, and how federal aid is handled when you leave mid-term.
2 min read
Talking with family about college costs
How to plan the money conversation, what to ask, and how the FAFSA and aid offers fit into it.