Quick Steps to Financial Aid

1. Apply for the FAFSA (free)

   • Review our FAFSA information below.

2. Sign up with OSAC (free)

   • Review our OSAC information below.

3. Sign up for the College Board's CSS Profile (some cost)

   • Review our College Board's CSS Profile information below.

4. Apply for scholarships (free)

   • Local scholarship are posted here.

5. Apply for financial aid at your college of choice (free)

   • Many colleges have money set aside specifically for financial aid of students attending their college. Check with the college of your choice's admissions about additional aid.

4 Types of Financial Aid

• Grants - Free money from the government

• Scholarships - Free money from private organizations

• Loans - Money you borrow

  • Government Student Loans (Stafford, Perkins, etc.) “good debt”. Very Low interest rate, no payments due until 6 months faster you leave college. It’s easy to skip payments if you are unemployed, sick, etc.

  • Private Student Loans (from banks) - “not-so-good debt” High interest rates banks are aggressive if you can’t make a payment.

• Work Study - Financial aid you work for (student jobs on-campus). They’re great jobs for students because they’re so flexible (you work for a few hours between classes, you can take time off easily if you need to study for a test, etc.)

Karyn Barats – AHS Counseling Office
Scholarship Coordinator/Counseling Secretary
541-482-2278 Extension 2114
karyn.barats@ashland.k12.or.us
Available Hours: Monday-Friday 7:00 am – 3:00 pm

Jennifer Marsden – College & Career Center
College & Career Specialist
ASPIRE Program Coordinator
541-482-8771 Extension 2130
jennifer.marsden@ashland.k12.or.us
Available Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 am – 4:00 pm

Alima Matejcek – College & Career Center
Project Youth Plus Representative
alima@pyplus.or or alima.matejcek@ashland.k12.or.us
Available Hours: Tuesday 10:00 am – 3:30 pm