Student Aid Notes

The Student Guide tells you about federal student aid programs and how to apply for them. Approximately two thirds of all student financial aid comes from federal programs administered by the U. S. Department of Education. After reviewing this publication, if you still have questions about these programs, call 1-800-4-FED-AID
(1-800-433-3243).

NOTE: You will encounter terminology that is new to you but is frequently used in financial aid. Some of these words appear with an asterisk, and you will find a description of them in the "Important Terms" section of the Guide.

Because you may be unfamiliar with certain acronyms, we spelled them out in each chapter.

The cost of education or training after high school continues to rise. But postsecondary education is more important thanever, so y ou need to learn about as many sources of aid as you can. The following resources can help you find out about federal and other student aid:

• The financial aid administrator at each school in which you're interested can tell you what aid programs are available at the school and how much the total cost of attendance* will be.
• The state higher education agency in your home state can give you information about state aid-including aid from the Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program, which is funded jointly by states and the U.S. Department of Education.
• The AmeriCorps Program provides full-time educational awards in return for work in community service. You can work before, during, or after your postsecondary education, and you can use the funds either to pay current educational expenses or to repay federal student loans.

For more information, call 1-800-942-2677. Information is also available through the Internet at www.americorps.org

The agency responsible in your state for public elementary and secondary schools can give you information on the Robert C. Byrd Honors Scholarship (Byrd) Program. To qualify for aid under the Byrd Program, you must demonstrate outstanding academic achievement and show promise of continued academic excellence.

Also, check Students.gov, the student Internet gateway to the U.S. government, provides access to government resources to assist students in planning and paying for their education. Students.gov is a federal initiative designed to make interacting with the government easier for students. In addition to finding financial aid information, students can use the Web site to file their taxes, search for a job, and take advantage of other government services.

Public libraries are also an excellent source of information on state and private sources of aid.

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