Education

U.S. Department of Education Resources 

Federal Student Aid (FSA)

Learn how financial aid works, the types of assistance available, and how to apply for financial aid by creating an individual FSA account. Students can also learn about targeted aid, repaying their loans, loan forgiveness programs, and avoiding default. 

College Affordability and Transparency Center (CATC) provides a collection of tools for students and parents to compare colleges' tuition and fees, net prices, and profiles to find the fit that works best for you. 

• College Scorecard is a tool for comparing information on school sizes, graduation rates, average costs, and salary ranges based on field of study. 
• CollegeNavigator is a search tool for individual school data and for creating lists of schools by size, location, degree programs, institution type, admission rates, and other categories. 
• Net Price Calculator Center - Search for Schools' Calculator is a search tool for finding institutions' net price calculators. It calculates the estimated net cost of attendance by subtracting grants, scholarships, and financial aid, from total tuition. Individuals can also contact a postsecondary institution directly if they have questions about specific net price calculations. 

Information for Financial Aid Professionals (IFAP) provides guidance and resources for financial aid administrators involved in processing for postsecondary education. While the site is designed for financial aid administrators, there is also detailed information on rules for federal student aid in the FSA Handbook.

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Resources

Paying for College provides information on making informed financial decisions for college. It covers student loans, repayment options, and managing money while in college. It also explains how to choose a bank account and the impact of financial aid disbursement on accounts.

Department of Treasury 

Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center provides an overview on tax credits, deductions, and savings plans to help taxpayers with their higher education expenses. The information center also links to the IRS Interactive Tax Assistant tool, which helps students determine if they are eligible for educational tax credits or deductions based on education expenses. 

Educational assistance programs FAQs provides answers to commonly asked questions related to educational assistance programs.   

Resources For California Residents 

California offers residents scholarships, loans, and tuition exemptions, find out more about them through the California Student Aid Commission. The website also provides help finding state-specific financial aid programs and applying for financial aid, and information on Cal Grant Programs.    

Department of Health and Human Services Resources 

Health Resources and Services Administration Loans And Scholarships provides links to scholarships and loan repayment programs, including the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship, National Health Service Corps (scholarship or loan repayment), and Nurse Corps (scholarship or loan repayment). 

Department of State Resources 

Student Resources provides a portal to a broad range of State Department educational resources. 

• Exchange Programs for U.S. Citizens provides resources on undergraduate and graduate exchange experiences, travel and living arrangements, and help finding programs. 
• USA Study Abroad provides resources on study abroad programs for U.S. citizens who are high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. 

Department of Veterans Affairs Resources 

Veterans Benefits Administration and Education and Training provides information on education benefits available to honorably discharged veterans and servicemembers (including reservists and National Guard members) and educational assistance for survivors and dependents. Veterans eligible for GI Bill Benefits can use features like the GI Bill Comparison Tool for education planning.