Scholarships & Financial Aid
Scholarships & Financial Aid
The financial aid process is an important part of many students’ college planning. College costs include a number of things: tuition, room, board, fees, transportation, books and incidentals such as clothing, telephone, social life, etc. Most families need help in meeting these costs.
“Need” is the basic consideration in colleges awarding financial aid. To determine the need of a candidate, colleges rely on the “Needs Analysis” determined from information submitted by you and your family on the financial aid forms – FAFSA, College Scholarship Service Profile (not every college utilizes this form). This is a complicated formula which determines the amount that the student and parents can be expected to pay toward college costs (Estimated Family Contribution, EFC). The difference (Demonstrated Need), or the amount of money needed to meet the total cost, may then be awarded by the college in the form of grants, loans, and work/study programs and scholarships.
To get an idea of your family EFC you can visit:
To request a PIN and/or to file a FAFSA online:
FAFSA on the WEB/On-line Application
In addition to the FAFSA, some schools require students also file the profile.
Some other helpful sites:
The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid
U.S. Office of the Department of Education
Scholarships
The Gardiner Area High School Guidance Office continually receives notices from various organizations, clubs, government agencies, schools and colleges regarding various college scholarship programs. These programs are listed in the Guidance Grapevine, which is distributed to every classroom and available to students and families in the Guidance Office.
Gardiner’s Guidance Office has a scholarship notebook, which details selection criteria for all of the above scholarship programs. Students and parents should check regularly and request copies of the applications for scholarships in which they are interested. Students must keep track of the deadlines of the individual scholarships.
We also encourage students to explore scholarship opportunities through
Finance Authority of Maine/Maine Education Assistance Division
Be careful of Scholarship scams! Many places offer to research scholarships for a fee. In Fact, these companies research the same databases that you can access for free.