Low-interest loans, work-study awards, and grants are available
through a single application process. Applications can be submitted
beginning January 1 for the following academic year. UM's priority
deadline for receiving applications is March 1, so be sure to
file your taxes right away and submit your FAFSA application as
soon as possible. The best way to apply is on-line at the FAFSA
web site at www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Warning: there are some pretender sites out there that seem like
they're your financial aid application, but they charge a fee.
Federal Financial Aid has always been free to apply for and the
only official site is www.fafsa.ed.gov.
Click on the link below to find out more.
Scholarships where can you go to search for money???
One of our most commonly asked questions
is "Where can I go to find out about scholarships?" There are three levels to focus your scholarship search on: national,
UM, and departmental. Each of these levels will have an array
of scholarships for you to choose from. The key is not to apply
for them all, but to focus on the applications for which you are
most eligible. Often times, questions requiring an essay response
are required in applications. "One size fits all" is
not going to win scholarships for you. You must tailor your essays
to fit the application if you hope to receive an award. One quote
from a scholarship reviewer says it all: "It doesn't matter
if Jane Doe had a 4.0 GPA, was active in school and her community,
but gives me a cookie-cutter essay. The ones I choose are those
students whom I feel I already know after reading a few paragraphs."
So, our best advice: choose scholarships to which you can passionately
respond.
National Level: FastWEB is hands-down the best
national scholarship search we have found to date. Containing more
than 180,000 listings, it is recommended for use by students in all
disciplines. This free service is available for your use regardless
of the university or college you attend. All you need to do is spend
20 minutes completing your personal information and you receive e-mail
updates of scholarships you could be eligible for. Check out FastWEB
at www.fastweb.com
University of Montana Level: UM General Scholarship.
Each year, UM awards a multitude of scholarships based on need, academics,
majors/minors, etc. Often, it is former students themselves who have
set up scholarship accounts as a way to pay UM back for their education.
All you need to do is complete one application form. A review committee
reads your application and decides whether or not to award you a scholarship.
Applications are usually out by January 1 for the following academic
year and are due into Griz Central by February 1.
Departmental Level: What's your major? It's worth checking
the department of your major to see if any alumni have set up special
scholarships for students in your discipline. Check out your department's
web site, or go to their main office to inquire about a listing. You
can find departmental web sites under UM's A-Z Index at www.umt.edu/homepage/AtoZ/default.asp
Bucks in a Row 10 steps to receiving Financial Aid
You can't read the book if you can't buy the book. So, now is the
time to make sure you've got all of your bucks in a row for next
year's Financial Aid. Here are the 10 most important steps to take.
Submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
on-line at www.fafsa.ed.gov
Your application results are sent to the colleges you listed
on your FAFSA application
The colleges you listed will contact you
You must respond to the colleges' requests and provide them
any additional information needed
Notification of your aid will be sent to you based on the information
you provided
You must respond to the colleges' financial aid offers by accepting
or rejecting their financial aid offers. If you don't respond
by the deadline, the award will be cancelled. Be sure to inform
the colleges you decided not to attend that you are rejecting
their award. Then they can close your file.
If you have accepted a student loan as part of your financial
aid, you must complete and sign a Master Promissory Note (MPN),
per your college's instructions.
After you have been accepted for admission and register for
classes, you will receive a bill listing your charges and the
financial aid you accepted.
You must respond to the Business Office of your college to confirm
your attendance and arrange final payment.
Financial Aid in excess of college charges will be available
to you in a refund check, if applicable.
-- from Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program and Student
Assistance Foundation of Montana
Money Management budgeting and beyond
Once you get the cash, learn how to spend it wisely.
Check out our College Budgeting
Example (Word 2000 format).
