Welcome to the Financial Aid and Scholarships page for North Smithfield High School.  Information on Scholarships, Financial Aid, Financial Aid Calculators, and related items can be found here, on our Twitter feed, and in the guidance office.  Please contact the appropriate school counselor if you have any questions or concerns.

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For those of you who are high school seniors and will be attending college in the fall, the application deadline for the 2012-2013 Rhode Island State Grant program is March 1, 2012.

The only application required for the State Grant program is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which must be completed online at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

Additional information on the Rhode Island State Grant program is available online at http://www.riheaa.org/sng/sg_pol_reg.php.  As of today, the 2012-2013 awarding formula and maximum grant award levels have not been determined.

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FAFSA FAQ:

What Is FAFSA?

All students are expected to contribute towards the cost of their college education. How much you and your family will be expected to contribute depends on your financial situation—and is what is referred to as your Expected Family Contribution or EFC.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the form used by the U.S. Department of Education to determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) by conducting a “need analysis” based on financial information, such as income, assets and other household information, which you (and your parents if you are a dependent student) will be asked to provide. The form is submitted to, and processed by, a federal processor contracted by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the results are electronically transmitted to the financial aid offices of the schools that you list on your application.

FAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.
FAFSA Eligibility

Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid, including low-interest Federal Stafford and/or parent PLUS loans, regardless of income or circumstances, provided that you:

•     are a U.S. citizen, a U.S. national or an eligible non-citizen;
•     have a valid Social Security Number;
•     have a high school diploma or GED;
•     are registered with the U.S. Selective Service (if you are a male aged 18-25);
•     complete a FAFSA promising to use any federal aid for educational purposes;
•     do not owe refunds on any federal student grants;
•     are not in default on any student loans; and
•     have not been found guilty of the sale or possession of illegal drugs during a period in which federal aid was being  received.

Applying for Aid...FAFSA is step #1

To be considered for federal financial aid, you must complete and submit a FAFSA. Additionally, most states, colleges and universities use the FAFSA to award other types of institutional financial aid, including state- and college-sponsored financial aid, such as grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.

(Note: In addition to the FAFSA, some states/colleges require additional forms or applications for aid. Check with your school’s financial aid office for any state- and/or school-specific requirements.)
FASFA Deadlines

Many states, colleges and universities have filing deadlines that are much earlier—some occurring as early as the first few weeks in January. Additionally, applicants have to pay particular attention to deadline specifics, as some refer to the date by which individual FAFSAs must be submitted (Transaction Receipt Date), while others refer to the date by which individual FAFSAs must be fully processed (completed by the federal processor and made available to the school financial aid office).

IMPORTANT: We strongly encourage all students to check with their school’s financial aid office to determine their exact FAFSA deadline requirements, and to file their FAFSA as soon as possible after January 1st.

(Note: Student Financial Aid Services maintains a comprehensive database of individual state and school filing deadlines as a convenience to our clients, and offers special assistance to late filers, including those facing impending deadlines. See FAFSA Deadlines for details.)

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CSS Profile FAQ:

Home > Pay for College 

CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE^®

The fast, easy, convenient secure way to apply for financial aid

Welcome to PROFILE, the financial aid application service of the College Board -- a national, not-for-profit membership association whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Many of the member colleges, universities, graduate and professional schools, and scholarship programs use the information collected on PROFILE to help them award nonfederal student aid funds.

Completing PROFILE Online requires you to have a secure browser and either a valid credit card or checking account.

If you submitted a 2011-12 PROFILE Application and sign in using your user name from last year, we will pre-fill some of your information using last year's application. If you have forgotten your user name or password, click on "FALL 2012/SPRING 2013" below then click on "Forgot your user name?" or "Forgot your password?" and follow the directions.

	Applying for financial aid for fall 2012 and/or spring 2013? Click here to register for and complete your PROFILE Online Application.
	Applying for financial aid for fall 2011 and/or spring 2012? Click here to register for and complete your PROFILE Online Application. Do not complete this version of the application if you are a senior in high school unless specifically instructed to by the college.

Click to view the 2012 - 13 PROFILE Student Guide.

Click to view the list of colleges, universities, and scholarship programs that will use the 2012 - 13 PROFILE, Noncustodial PROFILE (NCP), and IDOC Services.

Seleccione aquípara ver 2012 - 13 La Guía del Estudiante.

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Helpful websites

The websites listed below are great resources for financial aid and scholarship information from well respected organizations.  They are well worth your time.

College Planning Center of RI

RIHEAA

NEBHE Regional Tuition Break Program

RI Foundation

FASTWEB

Scholarships.com

CAPPEX Scholarships

FinAid Scholarships

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Financial Aid Calculators

The following financial aid calculators can help give you a sense of what college may cost.  Please remember that these are estimates and are in no way official.
 

FinAid Calculator

CollegeBoard Financial Aid Calculators

ACT Financial Aid

Stanford University

College toolkit

NY Times Article on Financial Aid Calculators

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At the bottom of the page you will find our scholarship listings in PDF format.  Students should frequently check this site, our twitter feed, and the guidance office for information on financial aid and scholarships.