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Pay for School

  Pay for School

It's never too early to start researching potential funding for college, especially because scholarship deadlines vary widely. Colleges & Universities also vary widely on their deadlines for financial aid & scholarships, so be sure to check with your college or university of interest as well as checking federal and state dates.

Important deadlines are in February and March (usually the 15th) for Idaho Seniors for both FAFSA and the College Board Financial Profile. Do check with your school of interest about THEIR deadlines for scholarship applications and financial aid submission deadlines.

APPLY AS EARLY AS OCTOBER!

The 2023-2024 FAFSA will be open on October 1, 2022 - (This earlier application date started in 2016, and is three months earlier than previous opening dates.) Your student is now to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as Oct. 1 every year at fafsa.gov.

Students will now use "prior-prior" year tax information when reporting personal & family income -- This is a major change and one of the main causes for delay in submitting a complete FAFSA in the past. Now, when completing the 2023-2024 FAFSA, your 2021 tax information will be requested. You can use the IRS Data Retrieval tool to automatically transfer your 2021 Federal income tax data. (This is beneficial, as it saves time and reduces errors).

See further information about different types of funding opportunities and links below.

North Idaho Scholarships plus State, Regional & Other Scholarships

Scholarship deadlines vary widely (Note: February & March are BIG deadline months for the following Fall semester), so don't miss out on local and regional opportunities!

Also check with your college or university of interest for scholarships offered by those institutions.

Financial Aid

Important deadlines are in February and March for Idaho Seniors for both FAFSA and the College Board Financial Profile. Do check with your school of interest about THEIR deadlines for scholarship applications and financial aid submission deadlines.

TIP: You do not NEED to have your previous year's taxes filed prior to completing a FAFSA or College Board Financial Profile, so don't wait. You will provide estimates and then update the application once taxes have been filed.

Work/Study Programs

Federal Work-Study jobs help students earn money to pay for college or career school. Undergraduate and graduate students with work-study jobs will work part-time on or off-campus while enrolled.

Other Funding for Education

Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants are usually awarded only to undergraduate students. The amount of aid you can receive depends on your financial need, the cost of attendance at your school, and more.

Student Loans

College Savings Accounts - Plan Ahead!

It's never too early to start thinking about your child's education, and to get them involved in the process. Consider a savings program, such as a 529 Plan (A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving for future college costs. 529 plans, legally known as “qualified tuition plans,” are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions and are authorized by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. For more info visit SEC.gov).

Idaho's College Saving Program is called IDeal.