The FAFSA (Totally free Application for Federal Student Aid) will be the needed application for all types of Federal help and most state and institutional monetary help programs. Although most applicants use FAFSA on the web (FOTW) can also be employed to apply for financial aid, paper application alternatives are also still accessible. The FAFSA is accessible as an electronic PDF document that will may be completed on your personal computer and printed, or it could be printed and completed by hand. English and Spanish PDF versions in the 2012-2013 FAFSA are accessible for download in December from IFAP. The printed and signed PDF FAFSA is then mailed to Federal Student Aid for processing.

Whether or not you plan to attend a university or community college, technical or trade school, financial aid is typically obtainable. Most institutions participate in a few of the federal and state aid programs. It is going to be important that you take time to analyze the certain college catalog or Web site which should have info concerning the different aid programs in which your school participates.