Links

• Financial Aid From the U.S. Department of Education
  http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/Students/sfa.html
  The Student Financial Assistance Programs are the largest source of student aid in America, providing over $40 billion a year in grants, loans, and work-study assistance. Here you'll find help for every stage of the financial aid process, whether you're in school or out of school.

• The Federal Student Aid Information Center
  http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/Students
  The Federal Student Aid Information Center provides information on Pell Grants, other federal financial aid, and the FAFSA.  The Center's  toll free number is  (800) 4FED.AID.

• California Student Aid Commission
  http://www.csac.ca.gov
  The California Student Aid Commission provides answers to questions about  CAL grants etc... and other state programs.  The Commission's  telephone number is  (916) 526-7590.

• EdFund
  http://www.edfund.org
  EdFund provides information on student loans under the Federal Family Education Loan Program.  The Organization's toll free telephone number is  (877) 2EdFund.

• Directory of State Higher Education Agencies
  http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/agencies.html
  This site provides a list of state grant agencies and governing boards.

• Financial Aid Information Page
  http://www.finaid.org
  This award winning site has grown into the most comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the web.  Access to Fin Aid is free for all users and there is no charge to link to the site.
  
  

• 2008-2009 CAL GRANT PROGRAM
  

• HOW TO APPLY FOR CAL GRANT
  

• 2008-2009 CAL GRANT PROGRAM COMPARISON http://www.csac.ca.gov/ 
  This site contains information comparing the various 2008-2009 CAL grant options available to students.

INDEPENDENT FUNDING

• Peterson's Education Center
  http://www.petersons.com/resources/finance.html
  Peterson's Educational Center claims to be the most comprehensive and heavily traveled education resource on the web and the nation's leading information services provider. Peterson's mission is to help connect individuals, educational institutions, and corporations with their goals through its critically acclaimed books, software, networking services, online activities, and special admissions services.

• Nellie Mae
  http://www.nelliemae.org/
  Nellie Mae is a leading national provider of higher education loans for students and parents.  Nellie Mae provides federal loans under the  Federal Family Education Loan Program (Stafford, PLUS and Consolidation Loans)  and privately funded loans for students and families. Our specialized services  also include web-based loan management tools for schools and borrowers. 

• Princeton Review Financial Aid home page
  http://www.review.com/college/finaid/
  This site has the tools and advice to help applicants achieve their educational and career goals.  Users can search for schools, chat with others going through the same process, get test prep advice, apply to college, and learn all the stats and scoop they crave about the schools they are interested in.

• Mapping Your Future
  http://mapping-your-future.org/
  This site is sponsored by a group of guaranty agencies who participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and are committed to providing information about higher education and career opportunities.

• Student Aid Home Page
  http://www.ed.gov/studentaid/
  The Student Financial Assistance Programs are the largest source of student aid in America, providing over $40 billion a year in grants, loans, and work-study assistance. Here you'll find help for every stage of the financial aid process, whether you're in school or out of school.

APPLICATIONS

• FAFSA on the Web
  http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/
  This site provides an online electronic version of  the FAFSA application form.

• FAFSA Express
  http://www.ed.gov/offices/OPE/express.html
  If you don't have web access but you have a computer with a modem and the Windows operating system, you can compete the application and transmit it over a regular telephone line in just a few easy steps using FAFSA Express.  You can order FAFSA Express disks by calling  (800) 801-0576

• Help in completing the FAFSA
  http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FAFSA/
  This web site explains how to properly complete a FAFSA, the purpose of the questions, and how to report information in some unusual cases. If you have questions about federal student aid, contact your financial aid administrator or call the Federal Student Aid Information Center at (800) 4-FED-AID (800 433-3243). TTY users may call (800) 730-8913. 

• Federal School Codes (used to complete the FAFSA)
  http://www.ed.gov/offices/OSFAP/Students/apply/search.html
  This site provides a search page to find the Federal School Codes for schools for which you may wish to apply.

PUBLICATIONS

• Funding Your Education
  http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/FYE/
  The U.S. Department of Education offers a variety of student financial aid programs. You can find out about many sources of student financial aid for free. This publication describes our student financial assistance programs.

• The Student Guide
  http://www.ed.gov/prog_info/SFA/StudentGuide/
  The Student Guide is the most comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education.  Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of student financial aid available through the federal Student Financial Assistance Programs.  Updated each award year, The Student Guide tells you about the programs and how to apply for them.

• Fund Your Future: Student Workbook
  http://www.csac.ca.gov/pubs/forms/grnt_frm/i-2.pdf
  This publication contains information on state and federal loan and grant programs. 

• Mapping Your Future
  http://www.mapping-your-future.org
  This site is sponsored by a group of guaranty agencies who participate in the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP) and are committed to providing information about higher education and career opportunities.

SCHOLARSHIPS

• FastWeb
  http://www.fastweb.com
  Best all around search, this site uses the Internet to help students find scholarships for college.  Each student's background is matched  automatically with eligibility requirements for scholarships from around the country and advised about scholarship opportunities tailored to them.  It's free and a mailbox can be set up that will be continually updated with new scholarships according to your user profile.

• College Board Online
  http://www.collegeboard.org/fundfinder/html/ssrchtop.html
  Free database search, by The College Board  - updated annually. Here you can locate scholarships, loans, internships, and other financial aid programs from non-college sources that match your education level, talents, and background. Complete the profile form and Scholarship Search will find potential scholarship opportunities from a database of 2,000 undergraduate scholarships, internships, and loan programs.

• College Quest
  http://www.collegequest.com/plugin.nd/CollegeQuest/pgGateway
  After you join our free membership, you'll have access to:  In-depth profiles of every undergraduate institution accredited in the U.S.    Specially designed tools to help you manage the college admissions and financial aid process Peterson's database of more than 800,000 scholarships and awards And much more! 

• MACH25
  http://www.collegenet.com/mach25/
  Database of over 500,000 private sector scholarships.  It will generate letters for you to send for more information.

• The SmartStudentTM Guide to Financial Aid
  http://www.finaid.org/scholarships/
  FinAid was established in the fall of 1994 as a public service.  This  award-winning site has grown into the most comprehensive annotated collection of information about student financial aid on the web.
  Access to FinAid is free for all users and there is no charge to link to the site.  This organization's site provides access to several free scholarship databases available online.

• Scholarship Scams
  This FinAid site component provides information on how to detect scholarship scams.

• MinorityScholarships and Fellowships
  http://www.sciencewise.com/molis/
  The Minority On-Line Information Service (MOLIS) is your source for information on minority institutions and minority targeted opportunities. 
  Utilizing appropriate technology, MOLIS provides value-added services that promote education, research, and diversity on a national level for Minority Institutions in partnership with government, industry, and other sectors. 

TAX CREDITS

• Hope Credit or Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
  http://www.ed.gov/updates/97918tax.html

• Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education

• http://www.irs.ustreas.gov
  This site provides information on federal income tax credits for some educational expenses.  See the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Publication 970, Tax Benefits for Higher Education.  Order the free publication from the IRS by calling 1 (800) TAX-FORM  (1-800-829-3676) or download the publication at http://www.irs.ustreas.gov

EDUCATION

• California Department of Education
  http://goldmine.cde.ca.gov/

• College Opportunities On-Line
  http://nces.ed.gov/ipeds/cool

• University of California
  http://www.ucop.edu

• California State University
  http://www.calstate.edu

• California Community Colleges
  http://www.cccco.edu

• Association of Independent California Colleges and Universities
  http://www.aiccu.edu

• California Virtual University
  http://www.california.edu

OCCUPATIONAL INFORMATION AND TRAINING REQUIREMENTS

• Occupational Outlook Handbook
  http://www.bls.gov/oco

• Employment Trends
  http://www.edd.cahwnet.gov

• Dictionary of Occupational Titles
  http://www.oalj.dol.gov/libdot.htm

• Corporation for National and Community Service
  http://www.cns.gov