College Options personnel offer a wide variety of financial aid services and are available to help you and your family determine how to maximize your potential for financial aid. All of our services are free of charge for North State families because of generous funding from local foundations. If you are looking for assistance in the area of financial aid, feel free to contact Brad Williams by email at bwilliams@collegeoptions.org or by phone at 530-768-5103.
If you are looking for any other type of assistance from College Options, please click on this link and send us a message or give our office a call (530) 244-4022.
Services
- How need based financial aid works
- How to secure merit based aid
- An understanding of the 4 types of financial aid
- Grants Free Money
- Scholarships Free Money
- Work Study Earned Money
- Loans Borrowed Money
- An understanding of how to secure financial aid from the 3 primary sources
- Federal Government
- State Government
- Schools themselves
- Assistance in understanding and in filing a FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid)
- Help in understanding financial aid offers from schools
- What to do if you do not receive enough financial aid
- An understanding of the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) calculation
- How the Pell Grant works
- How the Cal Grant works
- What are the best loans to consider
- Where to look for scholarships
- What are considered “special circumstances”
- Financial aid options for foster youth
Resources (Click on each heading to expand the list of available resources in a dropdown menu)
2023-2024 Financial Aid Presentation & Materials
CAL GRANT
CALIFORNIA DREAM ACT
COLLEGE COMPARISONS
COLLEGE OPTIONS TOOLS
EXPECTED FAMILY CONTRIBUTION (EFC) CALCULATION
FAFSA
FAFSA – COMMON MISTAKES WHEN FILLING OUT THE FAFSA
FEDERAL STUDENT AID 1-800-4-FED-AID (1-800-433-3243)
FINANCIAL AID OFFERS
- Understanding Your Financial Aid Award Offers (web link)
- Financial Aid Offer Example (web link)
- How to Review and Compare Your Financial Aid Awards (web link)
- College OPTIONS Financial Aid Offer Comparison Tool (excel worksheet)
- National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA) Award Offer Comparison Worksheet (10-page worksheet and glossary)
FINANCIAL AID OVERVIEW
FINANCIAL AID SCAM INFO
- Don’t Get Scammed on Your Way to College (1 page)
-
Is it a free scholarship? – Or a scam? – (California Student Aid Commission) (web link)
- How to Avoid Scholarship and Financial Aid Scams (Federal Trade Commission) (web link)
-
Top 5 College Student Financial Aid Scams & Fraud to Watch Out for (web link)
FINANCIAL LITERACY & WAYS TO SAVE MONEY IN COLLEGE
GRADUATE OR PROFESSIONAL STUDENTS
GUIDE TO 529 SAVINGS PLANS
HOMELESS INFORMATION
HOW NEED BASED FINANCIAL AID WORKS
IRS TAX BENEFITS FOR EDUCATION
LOANS
- Federal Student Aid Loan Simulator (on-line tool)
- Federal Student Loan Programs (2 pages)
- Federal Student Loan Basics (6 pages)
- Federal Student Loans: Direct PLUS Loan Basics for Parents (12 pages)
- How do I get a Federal Student Loan? (web link)
- How to Use Student Loans for Living Expenses (web link)
- LendEDU Resources (web link)
- Private Student Loans (web link)
- Sallie Mae – Private Student Loans (web link)
- SimpleTuition.com – Understanding and Comparing Private Student Loans (web link)
- Student Loans Overview – July 1, 2022- June 30, 2023 (2 pages)
- Wells Fargo – Applying for Student Loans (web link)
LOAN CALCULATORS AND REPAYMENT ESTIMATOR
MATERIALS NEEDED FOR A FINANCIAL AID APPOINTMENT WITH COLLEGE OPTIONS STAFF
MIDDLE CLASS SCHOLARSHIP - CALIFORNIA
MONEY MANAGEMENT
SCHOLARSHIP SOURCES
SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCES – FINANCIAL AID APPEAL LETTER TEMPLATES
