Financial Aid
Paying for college is a top concern for many families. Financial aid comes in many forms including grants, scholarships, work-study and government loans and private loans.
Pictured right: Gary Rigley, Notre Dame’s Senior Assistant Director of Financial Aid, our expert guest at Financial Aid Night for the Class of 2024.
Grants: need-based, “free money,” determined by financial aid form reporting; Scholarships: may be based on need or merit, granted by a college or an outside source, often determined through an application process;
Work-study: financial aid through a paid campus job, determined by financial aid form reporting;
Loans: borrowed money that requires repayment, often with interest unless government subsidized. Loans distributed by the U.S. Department of Education are determined by financial aid form reporting. Private loans, distributed by banks and other financial institutions, require an application and credit check and often have higher interest rates than federal loans.
The first step in qualifying for federal financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Form, available starting October 1 of senior year. Some private colleges may also require seniors to complete the College Scholarship Service (CSS) Profile.