The Athenian School

College Guidance Links

Below are links to services and organizations that can assist in the transition from Athenian to college.

Financial Aid Information

Most financial aid is awarded based on financial need. Your financial need is the difference between what it will cost you to attend a particular college, known as your student budget (or cost of attendance), and what you and your family can pay toward your college costs (known as your expected family contribution, or EFC). Your financial need depends on your family’s income and assets, your student budget, and other factors.

Not all student aid is based on need, however. For example, private scholarships may be awarded for academic performance, leadership skills, community service or other criteria. In addition, unsubsidized federal loans are available for all eligible students, regardless of their resources.

Don’t disqualify yourself from financial aid by not applying! If your family’s income is too high, you may not receive need-based aid, but you could still qualify for scholarships, work-study or low-interest student loans. So be sure to apply—it’s also a good safety net if your financial situation suddenly changes.

Listed below are a number of helpful online resources for financial aid. In addition to these sites and scholarships you may find in your local community, it is also important to check with each of the schools you are applying to and see what institutional aid they may have to offer their students.

Federal and State Programs and Applications

General Information and Scholarship Search Engines

Scholarship Listings

American Chemical Society Scholars Program
$2,500 to $3,000
Requirements: Financial need; over 3.0 GPA; high achiever in chemistry or science; African American, Hispanic/Latino or American Indian
www.chemistry.org/scholars or call 800-227-5558 ext. 6250

Scholarship Scams—Information for Protecting Yourself

Be careful when searching for information on student financial assistance. Make sure information and offers are legitimate. Estimates show that families lose millions of dollars to scholarship fraud every year.