For comprehensive financial aid information online, including information on sources of aid, how to find & apply for aid, how to project college costs, and how to calculate student loan repayments, we recommend that you visit the website http://www.finaid.org.

Want to know how the colleges determine your financial need eligibility? Click here for an Expected Family Contribution calculator: http:/www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov

For younger students, you can find early financial planning and information on the best ways to save for college at the website http://www.scholarshare.com.

Here are the Four General Sources of Student Financial Aid:

Federal Student Aid
The first step to federal financial aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Submitting the FAFSA will enable you to determine your Expected Family Contribution figure (EFC) towards college costs, and it will allow your college to determine your eligibility for Federal Student Aid programs including grants and loans. The FAFSA is available January 1 each year. The California priority deadline to file the FAFSA form is March 2, however, check with your school's financial aid office to verify your school's individual deadline for this form (it may be earlier than March 2). Online at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov.

California State Aid
Need-based grants from the state are available to California residents attending college in the state. Check your eligibility and apply for these Cal Grants by using the Cal Grant GPA Verification form, available January 1 with a deadline of March 2. For more information go to the website: http://www.calgrants.org

Institutional Aid
Most colleges raise their own money to give merit scholarships and need-based grants to their students each year. Check with your college’s financial aid office, and be sure to see if your school requires any additional forms to apply for financial aid like the College Board’s CSS PROFILE form. Check with your school's financial aid office to verify your school's individual deadline for this form. This form is online at https://profileonline.collegeboard.com

Outside Agency Aid
There are numerous other private scholarships available for students attending college, such as scholarships provided by groups like the Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara. Be sure to apply online here at our website (under the Apply for a Scholarship and Loan tab)! But, we also recommend that you check two other sources: (1) your high school counseling office, where many local clubs send scholarship notices about local awards, and (2) an online scholarship search. Try the following websites:

The Scholarship Foundation of Santa Barbara offers financial aid counseling services for students and parents. We can help you understand the range of grants, scholarships, federal aid, and state aid that are available. Please call us at (805) 687-6065 or send an email to outreach@sbscholarship.org to schedule an appointment.