Financial aid resources for everyone
Financial aid resources for Rhode Islanders

AmeriCorps
AmeriCorps is a national service program that helps people of all ages and backgrounds to pay for education in exchange for a year of service.

American Indian College Fund
Originally created to support 30 U.S. tribal colleges and universities, this fund has become the nation's largest provider of privately-funded Native American scholarships in the country, helping thousands of students to fulfill their dreams. The fund is also a partner in the Gates Millennium Scholars Program, the largest minority scholarship effort of its kind.

ASPIRA
ASPIRA is a national organization working to further the interest of Hispanic youth. This Web site provides numerous links geared toward Hispanic persons including scholarships, internships and fellowships, financial aid resources, and SAT and ACT information and more.

Black Excel-The College Help Network
This Web site includes financial aid information and a list of 100 minority scholarships. This site also offers links to SAT and ACT preparation sites and a newsletter and many articles on postsecondary educational experiences for African-Americans.

College Costs: A Field Guide
This site contains information on all aspects of financing a college education.

Creating Options: A Resource on Financial Aid for Students with Disabilities (2001).
The latest edition of this popular resource paper features up-to-date information about federal financial aid programs, describes the relationship between state vocational rehabilitation agencies and the financial aid process, and lists organizations that offer disability-related grants and scholarships for postsecondary education.

Financial Aid Checklist
This site offers month-by-month instructions and advice on what students should be doing from 10th grade onward to maximize their financial aid award. 

Financial Aid Information Page (FinAid)
Information on financial aid, grants, and loans is provided on this comprehensive and easily navigated financial aid site. FinAid contains pages on loans, scholarships, military aid, and other types of scholarhips. Financial aid forms and directions, an "Ask the Advisor" function, and financial aid calculators can be found here.

Financial Aid Search Through the Web
This helpful site has a free scholarship database of 400,000 scholarships, fellowships, internships, and grants.  A free profile can be entered and e-mail notices sent on scholarships that fit the student's criteria.  The Canadian data are in French and English.  There are Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and information on local and school-based awards.  The parents’ page has an Ask the Experts feature.  A helpful financial aid glossary is accessible.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
FAFSA opens the door to the federal aid process. This site leads you through the FAFSA filing process. The application is available online in both English and Spanish. The federal filing deadlines are given, but don't forget to check your state's deadline (that means eligivility for state financial aid), which may be earlier.

GEAR UP  (Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs)
The GEAR UP program encourages low income students to attend college by planning early. The site provides lists of available grants. 

Hispanic College Fund
This site lists all of the colleges and universities that participate in the Hispanic College Fund Scholarship Program, a program that awards over 100 scholarships.  Also included are sites designed to provide assistance to Hispanic students. 

Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island
The Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island (LADO) is an organization in the Latino community dedicated to providing financial assistance to Latino students from Rhode Island as they pursue a higher education.  The organization is an affiliate of the Citizen's Scholarship Foundation of America, a national organization that provides technical assistance to local scholarship efforts. The Latino Dollars for Scholars Foundation of Rhode Island's mission is to expand access to higher education for Latino students in Rhode Island by involving and assisting the private sector in the support of these students. 
Contact Dr. Jose Gonzalez at 456-9256 for more information.  

Mapping Your Future
Sponsored by guaranty agencies that participate in the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program, this site has tours for middle and high school students, college attendees, student loan borrowers, and non-traditional students.  This site contains useful information on higher education and careers, has links to online application forms, a financial aid calendar, budget calculator and loan calculator.  Also helpful are the sections containing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and a glossary of financial aid terminology.

Find scholarships, internships and other financial aid program from non-college sources that match your education level, talents, and background.

President's Student Service Challenge  Volunteering not only lets you give back to your community, but also gives you money for college. As part of the President’s Student Service Challenge, the Corporation for National Service recognizes outstanding student volunteers by offering scholarships to high school juniors and seniors who have helped to improve their communities through volunteer service.

Scholarship Resources Network
This is a search engine and database that provides information on private scholarships for undergraduates and postgraduates who wish to locate funding for study. 

Scholarship Scam
The Federal Trade Commission provides advice on how to spot scholarship scams. 

The Student Guide to Financial Aid
The Student Guide is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. The guide covers the department's major aid programs, including Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, and PLUS Loans. About 70% of all student aid comes from the programs discussed in this guide.

Wired Scholar
Sallie Mae, a national leader in higher education finance, developed this site. The site has information on planning, selecting, and applying to college and is especially helpful with the financial side of going to college, including information options for financing your college education, finding financial aid, and managing costs. The site has a database of over 600,000 sources of financial aid. Information and resources of interest to minority scholars are represented.

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CollegeBoundfund
CollegeBoundfund provides a powerful way to save for higher education. Sponsored by the state of Rhode Island, CollegeBoundfund is a "529 plan" that offers many benefits including tax-free earnings growth, a RI State tax deduction on contributions and a choice of investment options. Withdrawals for qualified higher education expenses are also federal and Rhode Island state income-tax free.*

An account can be opened to save for the educational expenses of a child by parents, grandparents, relatives or friends. Funds invested in a CollegeBoundfund account are managed my Alliance Capital with investment oversight from the Rhode Island's State Investment Commission. When the child is ready to attend school, funds can be used at virtually any public or private educational institution in the nation and at some schools abroad. Funds can be withdrawn to pay for qualified expenses such as tuition, room, board, fees, books, supplies and equipment required for enrollment.

For information about CollegeBoundfund call toll-free 1-888-324-5057, or visit their web site, www.collegeboundfund.com.

* Under a "sunset provision" the federal tax exemption for earnings on qualified withdrawals is scheduled to expire on December 31, 2010 unless extended by congress.

College Planning Center
The College Planning Center, a free resource center sponsored by the Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA), offers Rhode Islanders up-to-date information on college admission, financial aid, financing options, distance learning, and careers. The center also offers advice on scholarship searches and adminsters a Web site, www.rischolarships.com.  Experienced financial aid and admissions professionals will be available seven days a week to answer questions.  The center is committed to reaching all populations within the Rhode Island community to ensure that each of these populations has access to this essential information.  The College Planning Center is located at the Warwick Mall, 400 Bald Hill Road, Suite R10.  The College Planning Center Web site provides links to sites with information on financial aid, college selection, distance learning, careers and job searches. Contact: David DeBlois at 401-736-3170 or at ddeblois@cpcri.org, or visit the College Planning Center's Web site at www.collegeplanningcenter.org.

New England Regional Student Program (RSP)
This program enables New England residents to get a reduction on out-of-state tuition when they enroll at out-of-state New England public colleges and universities, and study RSP-approved majors which are not offered by their home states.  All 78 public colleges and universities in New England participate in the RSP, offering hundreds of academic programs through RSP.  Programs are available at all academic levels from associate's degrees through doctoral and first professional degrees.  The RSP is a tuition reduction program, not a financial assistance or scholarship program, and students accepted through RSP are eligible to apply for financial aid from other sources.  The catalog of RSP eligible programs, the Apple Book, is available in high school guidance offices, public libraries, college career services and admissions offices at New England public colleges and universities.  For more information call New England Regional Student Program 617-357-9620 or visit the Web site.

Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority
The Rhode Island Higher Education Assistance Authority (RIHEAA), was created to provide financial assistance to students and their families to help them realize their postsecondary educational goals. The mission of RIHEAA is to provide educational access and choice to residents of Rhode Island, promoting equal postsecondary opportunity to students who are restricted from participating in the educational programs of their choice due to insufficient financial resources. RIHEAA administers the Rhode Island State Grant Program, the Academic Promise Scholarship, the CollegeBoundfund (CBf) College Savings Program (www.collegeboundfund.org), and the CBf Five and Ten Matching Grant Program. The Authority is also the guarantor of the Federal Stafford and PLUS loan programs. For additional information, contact the Authority by phone at 401-736-1100 or by mail to 560 Jefferson Blvd., Warwick, RI 02886, or visit the RIHEAA Web page at www.riheaa.org.

RI Scholarships
RISLA (Rhode Island Student Loan Authority) offers a free web site that provides information on scholarships available to Rhode Islanders, from athletic scholarships offered by the Cumberland Youth Soccer Association to employee scholarships offered by Dunkin' Donuts. The database can be browsed by category (like academics, civic service, or ethnicity) or by keyword. The site provides general information about each scholarship, allows visitors to produce customized letters of inquiry, and provides links to other Rhode Island resources. Go to www.rischolarships.com, or follow links from RISLA's homepage.  

Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA)
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) is a non-profit state authority dedicated to providing affordable loans for higher education. RISLA provides easy, local access to low cost educational funds; helps Rhode Island colleges and universities to be more financially competitive in attracting and retaining exemplary students; counsels students and parents on how they can afford higher education; and provides state-of-the-art loan processing and disbursement services. Information is available on the Stafford, Parent PLUS, College Bound loan, RI Family Education, Partnership, and Scholarship Loan programs. Call 736-1190 or 800-758-7562.