Financial Aid Reflection

1. Federal Financial Aid- What are the different types of federal financial aid available to
students? How do you apply for federal financial aid? What benefits do students
receive from this type of financial aid?

To apply for federal financial aid, you can go to fafsa.gov. When on the website, you fill
out your personal information, income, taxes, what schools you might be going to, etc.
There are great benefits to receiving this type of financial aid. When you apply, FAFSA
can help you with grants and federal loans that can pay for your school expenses, and
you can receive the leftover money that has not been used for living expenses.

2. State Financial Aid- What are the different types of state aid available to students?
How do you apply for state financial aid? What benefits do students receive from this
type of financial aid?

Some of the different types of state aid available to students are Cal Grant, Chafee
Grant, middle class, military, law enforcement, etc. To apply in California, go to
www.csac.gov. You choose what financial aid you need and put in all your information.
The benefits students can receive are financial assistance for school and life expenses.

3. School Specific Financial Aid- Which schools did you research? Describe one grant or
scholarship that is offered at each school. What benefits do students receive from this
type of financial aid?

The two schools I have researched are San Diego Mesa College and San Diego City
College. One grant from Mesa college is the Federal Pell Grant. This grant is paid based
on family contribution and the number of units a student is enrolled. One grant from
City College is the Cal Grant. Students can benefit from this type of financial aid because
they get grants from the school they are attending.

4. Private Scholarships- Describe two scholarships that you found interesting during your
research. What are the benefits of using this type of aid to fund your education?

One of the scholarships I found was one for women. This one shows many different
scholarships for women. Another one I found was “Because College is Expensive”
scholarship. I thought this one was interesting because all you do is sign up and your
name could be drawn to win money. Using this type of financial aid is very beneficial
because you can receive money for being who you are or you can show your skills to
receive financial aid.
5. Military Financial Aid- Do you or your family plan to or have served in the military? If
so, describe at least one military financial aid program that is available to you? What
benefits do students receive from this type of financial aid?

No, none of my family members have served in the military or plan to.

6. Personal Financial Aid Plan- After reviewing the different types of financial aid available
to students, what plan do you have for covering the costs of post-secondary
education? Write a paragraph that summarizes the total cost you expect to pay for
post-secondary education, the sources of aid you plan to use to cover these costs, and
when and how you plan to apply for each program. You may also need to consider
alternate sources of income such as a college fund or savings plan that has already
been set aside.

I plan on using federal financial aid, scholarships, state aid, and possibly the school
specific financial aid. The cost of attendance for one semester for a resident is about
$7,583 and for a school year, 9 months, is about $15,166. I will apply to FAFSA and also
to many other private scholarships for financial aid. Also, applying to the school financial
aid and state to get as much financial aid I need, since I do not have an alternate source
of income such as a college fund or savings plan.