Financial Assistance

Scholarships are an excellent way to pay for your college education. The scholarship process may be competitive, but there are plenty of scholarships available. Several different types of scholarships exist such as merit, need-based, school-based and full/partial scholarships.

The first step in securing a scholarship is doing your research. Check with your high school, selected universities, professional organizations and websitesIf you search long enough, it is more likely that you will find a scholarship that matches your qualifications and interests. Your scholarship search will take patience and time, but it is definitely worth the pay off.

Scholarship Resources:
Most universities have their own opportunities available through their scholarship departments. Go to the university's website and search for the scholarship office. Their scholarship applications are usually due in conjunction with the university admission application.
Professional Organizations may also offer scholarships to students based on their chosen degree plan and career path.

• United Negro College Fund
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund
• The Need Project 
• American Association of Petroleum Geologists
• Society of Women Engineers 
• Society of Exploration Geophysicists
• American Society for Mechanical Engineers 
• FastWeb
• Offtocollege.com
  

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA):
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) uses the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC). This includes a "needs analysis" based on financial information, such as income, assets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a dependent student) will be asked to provide. The form is submitted to, and processed by, a federal processor contracted by ED, and the results are electronically transmitted to the financial aid offices of the schools that you list on your application.

FAFSA is used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans and work-study programs.

Go to http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ to check it out.