Students, parents urged to take advantage of `free' financial aid information

March 6th, 2002

West Virginia University Student Financial Aid officials want students and parents to know there are many free sources of information available regarding state and federal financial aid.

“This time of year, many students are contacted by college financial aid services that charge a fee for their services,”said Ken Sears, associate director of WVU Student Financial Aid.”We simply want students to know free help is available, and if theres a fee involved, be sure you know what youre paying for.”

Sears said the following sources provided by the U.S. Department of Education usually have free information about aid from the federal and state governments:

  • A college or career school financial aid office. Talk to the financial aid administrator at the school you plan to attend. Be sure to ask about”institutional aid”money the school itself awards students. The schools catalog or web site is also a good source of information about aid available at the school. WVU s site ishttp://www.wvu.edu/~finaid/.
  • A local or college library. Relevant materials are usually listed under”student aid”or”financial aid”If you need help, ask the reference librarian.
  • The Internet. Search using the key words”student aid”or”financial aid.”Remember that many scams operate over the Internet, so if an Internet service charges a fee, research it carefully. Better yet, use one of the many free Internet search services or aid information sites.
  • A high school counselors office. Many counselors have a large selection of materials, know what recent graduates have received and can guide you to free online information.

Students may apply for federal student aid at no cost by filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). It can be found online athttp://www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Each year, the Department of Education receives complaints from students and parents who did not receive the information they expected from some paid financial aid services, Sears said. If students decide to use one of these services, they should check its reputation by contacting the Better Business Bureau, a school guidance counselor or a state attorney generals office, he added.