Financial Aid Information

Financial aid is provided by four basic sources: the federal government, state government, the colleges and universities themselves, and the private sector (such as foundations, corporations and banks).

The Go-to Guide for College Financial Aid

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators

View Financial Aid Resources in Spanish here: Recursos de Ayuda Financiera

Federal tax information for students

Scholarship Search

Fastweb

College Board’s Big Future Pay for College

Financial Aid Applications

Check with individual colleges regarding any additional financial aid applications that they require.
Check deadlines and apply on time.

Visit the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid Office for information about the FAFSA (the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid). Information is available in English and Spanish.

College Board’s CSS Profile application
Some colleges use the Profile application for awarding nonfederal aid. Visit their site for the application as well as a list of participating colleges and scholarship programs.

How to Access Financial Aid and
Lower Your College Costs

Watch an overview of financial aid and NEBHE’s Tuition Break program:

Click here to view and download in PDF format: Presentation for the Fall 2020 NEACAC Virtual College Fairs , provided by Jessica Whittier, Finance Authority of Maine (FAME) and Wendy Lindsay, NEBHE.

FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)

Many colleges, as well as state and private aid providers, use data based on the FAFSA (the federal government’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid) to determine a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Students and families file for free. A new FAFSA must be submitted for every year of enrollment in college.
Complete the FAFSA.

State Financial Aid Resources

The following organizations provide assistance with financial aid planning and the application process, as well as information on scholarships, grants and loans.

Connecticut
Connecticut Office of Student Financial Aid

Maine
Finance Authority of Maine (FAME)
MES Foundation

Massachusetts
Massachusetts Office of Student Financial Aid
Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority (MEFA)

New Hampshire
New Hampshire Higher Education Assistance Foundation (NHHEAF)
New Hampshire Charitable Foundation

Rhode Island
 RISLA College Planning Center
Rhode Island Student Loan Authority (RISLA) Scholarship Search
Rhode Island Office of the Postsecondary Commissioner (RIOPC)

Vermont
Vermont Student Assistance Corporation (VSAC)

Net Price Calculators

Net price is the amount that a student pays to attend an institution in a single academic year after subtracting scholarships and grants the student receives. Scholarships and grants are forms of financial aid that a student does not have to pay back. Net price calculators are available on a college’s or university’s website and allow prospective students to enter information about themselves to find out what students like them paid to attend the institution in the previous year.
View a college's calculator.

Tuition Break: Out-of-State Tuition Savings

New England residents are eligible to save on out-of-state tuition for thousands of programs offered by public colleges and universities in the six New England states. Average annual savings is about $8,000.
Save on tuition.