Resources & Information

What to Bring to a FAFSA appointment (English)

What to Bring to a FAFSA appointment (Spanish)

What to Bring to a FAFSA appointment (Korean)

What to Bring to a VASA appointment (English)

What to Bring to a VASA appointment (Spanish)

What to Bring to a VASA appointment (Korean)

Understanding FAFSA (2022)

Do you need money to go to college?  This is the first step if you want financial aid from the federal and state government or most colleges. Filling out the FAFSA can be overwhelming. Don’t worry. There is a lot of help!

Click here to download the PDF.
Translations into many other languages are available now here.

Preparing for College: Guide & Workbook
(VA 2022-2023)

⇒ Estimating your college costs
⇒ Tips for completing FASFA
⇒ Finding scholarships
⇒ and more

Click here to download the PDF now!

Articles

New: A Guide to the Comming College Financial Aid Season (WSJ)

Are You Eligible for Financial Aid? 

College Preparation Checklist

College 529 Plans and Financial Aid

Saving for Education with Invest 529 (PowerPoint presentation)

10 of the Biggest Financial Aid Mistakes

FinAid: Account Ownership: In Whose Name to Save?

Time: How to Have Your Kid Go To College – But Not Go Broke

Websites

FinAid! Guide to Financial Aid

US Department of Education Federal Student Aid Financial Aid Toolkit

College Scorecard

SCHEV First Time Freshmen Admission Profile (Virginia Schools)

SCHEV Admissions History (Virginia Schools)

Virginia Public School Financial Aid Deadlines and Codes

Virginia Private School Financial Aid Deadlines and Codes

Student Aid Estimator (replaces FAFSA4caster)

FinAid Financial Aid Calculator

US Department of Education Net Price Calculator

Student Loan Payment Calculator 

New – Federal Student Loan Simulator

How to Read Financial Aid Award Letters

How to Compare Financial Aid Offers

How to Evaluate Financial Aid Award Letters

School Counselor Webinar Series: Helping Families Understand Financial Aid Award Letters

Do’s and Don’ts in Appealing Awarded Student Aid

Understanding Financial Aid Award

 Evaluating Financial Aid

New VASA form for students not eligible for FAFSA (for Dreamers and undocumented)

New NOVA Dreamers Information

New Guidelines for In-State Tuition for Immigrants

Accessing College as an Undocumented Student – English   Spanish

Glitches with the 2020 FAFSA & Their Cure 

General Scholarship Websites

Fastweb

Big Future

The Community Foundation of Northern Virginia

Cappex

Sallie Mae

Scholarships for Specific Populations

Scholarships for Military Families

UNCF

Asian & Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund

MALDEF

Scholarships for Dreamers

Scholarships that do NOT require US Citizenship or Residency

Primary State Financial Aid and Tuition Assistance Programs (schev.edu)

CSS Profile – a Parent’s Guide – Presented by MEFA

Paying For College for High School Seniors (English)

Paying for College – Grades 9-11 (English)

FAFSA Line-by-Line (English) 

Scholarships 101 (English)

MEFA Financial Award Presentation (English)

Financial Awareness for Middle School Parents

College Access Fairfax PowerPoint Presentation Quick Fact Sheets

PowerPoint presentations are available on the Workshop page.

FASFA Quick Fact Sheet (English)    (Spanish)

Paying for College Quick Fact Sheet – (English)    (Spanish)

Scholarships 101 Quick Fact Sheet – PDF

FAFSA – Free Application for Federal Student Aid

FAFSA ID – NEW PROCEDURES FOR 2023/24

FAFSA Form  – NEW PROCEDURES FOR 2023/24

FAFSA Alerts – read before beginning FAFSA

Information Required to Complete the FAFSA

FSA ID Creation (Powerpoint)

Create an FSA ID – English
Spanish

Create your FSA ID here

Complete the FAFSA online

How to Request a Transcript of Prior Year’s Tax Returns

The FAFSA – Who, What, Where and When

CSS Profile:

An additional financial aid form for select colleges.

Please note:  Our primary focus at CAF is to complete FAFSA and VASA with students and their families, explain the financial aid process, and help students review potential scholarships.  Below are some excellent resources for understanding CSS Profile completion.  The form and its embedded question support is excellent.  If someone has difficulty once they have viewed these supports and have attempted the CSS Profile form,  they can reach out to us and we can take a look at individual questions with them.

Learn More About the CSS Profile (MEFA webinar video)

List of Schools that require the CSS Profile

Complete the CSS Profile online

Information for Undocumented Students including

In-State Tuition, VASA form and Scholarships.

Information for Undocumented Students

Scholarship Resources for Independent Students (homeless, unaccompanied minor, etc.)

FAQs for Military Families

US Department of Veteran Affairs Veteran Benefits Fact Sheets

Post-9/11 Transferability

Post-9/11 GI Bill Yellow Ribbon Fact Sheet

GI Bill Comparison Tool

Scholarships for Military Families

Scholarships for Military Dependents

Yellow Ribbon Program

Yellow Ribbon Program Participating Institutions

Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program

Information for Students Attending NOVA including

applying to NOVA, undocumented students at NOVA,

and the NOVA/GMU Advance Program.

Information for Students attending NOVA

College and Career Specialist School Assignments

College Fair/College Night Information