Financial Aid Resources

Financial aid information is available for free from several sources, including the federal government, state financial aid agencies and foundations listed below.

Financial aid includes scholarships, grants, federal work-study and loans. Students must complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), as soon as possible after January 1 in order to be considered for any type of financial aid. Students also need to check with a college’s financial aid office for its deadlines and other required applications forms.

New England-wide Tuition Break
Federal Government
General Information

Resources by state:
Connecticut
Maine
Massachusetts
New Hampshire
Rhode Island
Vermont

New England-wide Tuition Break
NEBHE’s Regional Student Program (RSP) Tuition Break

Federal Government
U.S. Department of Education
www.studentaid.ed.gov

College.gov is being built by the U.S. Dept. of Ed. in collaboration with students. The site is intended to be the go-to source for information and resources about planning, preparing and paying for postsecondary education (such as 2- or 4-year colleges and universities, as well as vocational or career schools).
www.college.gov

FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid [FAFSA] Form required for all financial aid, including loans)
www.fafsa.ed.gov

Federal Student Aid Information
www.studentaid.ed.gov/LSA

Federal Trade Commission Information about Scholarship Scams
www.ftc.gov/scholarshipscam

General Information
The College Board
www.collegeboard.com

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE
(Additional financial aid application required by some colleges)
profileonline.collegeboard.com/index.jsp

Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
www.finaid.org

Scholarship Searches
www.fastweb.com

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators
(Information on financial aid process and list of web sites)
www.studentaid.org
www.nasfaa.org

Expected Family Contribution (EFC) Calculator
(A free service to help students and families estimate their EFC and eligibility for financial aid)
www.finaid.org/calculators/finaidestimate.phtml
apps.collegeboard.com/fincalc/efc_welcome.jsp

Connecticut

Connecticut Department of Higher Education
www.ctdhe.org
860-947-1800

Education and Employment Information Center
www.ctdhe.org/EEIC
860-947-1810 or 800-842-0229

Office of Financial Aid
www.ctdhe.org/SFA
860-947-1855

Connecticut Higher Education Supplemental Loan Authority (CHESLA)
www.chesla.org
860-236-1400 or 800-252-3357 (CT only)

Connecticut Student Loan Foundation (CSLF)
www.cslf.com
860-257-4001 or 800-237-9721

CSLF College Planning and Financial Aid Resource Center Hotline
866-752-6443

Maine

Maine Department of Education
www.maine.gov/education
207-624-6600

Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
www.famemaine.com
207-623-3263 or 800-228-3734

Maine Education Services
www.mesfoundation.com
207-791-3600 or 800-922-6352

Maine Education Loan Authority (MELA)
www.mela.net
800-922-6352

Massachusetts

Massachusetts Department of Higher Education
www.mass.edu
617-994-6950

Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Assistance
www.osfa.mass.edu
617-727-9420

The Education Resources Institute (TERI) College Access Centers
www.teri.org/college-access

TERI College Planning
www.tericollegeplanning.org
617-536-0200 or 877-332-4348 (MA only)

Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)
www.mefa.org
800-449-6332

New Hampshire

NH Postsecondary Education Commission
www.nh.gov/postsecondary
603-271-2555

NH Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF)
NHHEAF Network Center for College Planning
www.nhheaf.org
603-225-6612 or 800-525-2577

New Hampshire Charitable Foundation (NHCF)
www.nhcf.org
603-225-6641

Rhode Island

RI Office of Higher Education
www.ribghe.org
401-462-9300

Preparing for College: A Guide for Students, Families and Educators
www.ribghe.org/col-prep.htm

RI Higher Education Assistance Authority (RIHEAA)
www.riheaa.org
401-736-1100 or 800-922-9855

Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA)
www.risla.com
www.rischolarships.com
401-468-1700 or 800-758-7562

RISLA’s College Planning Center of Rhode Island
www.cpcri.org
www.collegeplanningcenter.org
401-736-3170

Vermont

Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC)
www.vsac.org

Resource Center Career and Education Outreach
802-655-9602 or 800-642-3177