Student Financial Aid Checklist

Portland Community College faculty and student using a computer - courtesy Portland Community College Library, photographer Kristin Beadle

Resources

FAFSA
FinAid
OSAC's Scholarships

In order to receive the maximum amount of financial aid that you are eligible for, you need to make sure to complete all the necessary steps. Take full advantage of the scholarships and other aid you may be qualified for by following this simple checklist:

Fill out a FAFSA
To be eligible for almost all financial aid, you must fill out this Free Application for Federal Student Aid. You can pick up the paper form from any high school or college financial aid office, or complete the form on the web at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Make sure to:

  • send in a FAFSA in January or February
  • fill out a new FAFSA each year
  • know your school's application deadlines
  • know if your school requires more than just the FAFSA

Next, each college that you list on the FAFSA will send a Notice of Award. This tells what has been awarded and how much the family is expected to pay. If you apply in January, the Notice of Award usually arrives by April or May.

 
Fill out the Scholarship App
Use the Oregon Unified Electronic Scholarship Application (Scholarship App) to apply for OSAC-administered scholarships.  If you cannot file the Scholarship App and need a paper application, please contact OSAC at (800) 452-8807.
Search for other scholarships
Keep all of your options open by looking for outside scholarship sources.
Get more information
Contact your high school counselor, financial aid office professional, or admissions officer for more information about scholarships and applications. They are there to help you with all aspects of funding your education.