Financial Aid Information

Other Resources

8 Steps to Filling Out the FAFSA - 8 Steps to filling out the FAFSA

FAFSA - Click here to get started on the FAFSA

Fast Web Financial Aid - Fast Web's Financial Aid, Tools, and Advice

Federal Student Aid - More info from U.S. Department of Education

Financial Aid.org - The Smart Student Guide to Financial Aid

College For All Texans

FASFA Checklist

Financial Aid Information

All students who plan to attend a college, university, or technical/trade school must file for financial aid with a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

The FAFSA website opens October 1st of each year. Go to www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete an application. You will renew your application for financial aid each year you are enrolled in post-secondary education.

A Senior Financial Aid Night will be held at Rains HS during the month of October, date to be determined.

Scholarship Opportunities

Local Scholarships

See Scholarships page

Other Scholarship Opportunities

National Merit Scholarship Program
Eligibility- Varies Depending on Scholarship
Deadline- Varies Depending on Scholarship

Charles Butt Scholarship
Eligibility- Senior, aspiring teacher, and committed to teach in specific location or content.
Deadline- Depends on college attending

The College Board Opportunity Scholarships
Eligibility- Varies Depending on Scholarship
Deadline- Varies Depending on Scholarship

Scholarship Search Webpages

www.fastweb.com Fast Web - free internet scholarship database- complete a personal profile

www.scholarships4students.com Scholarships listed by universities, majors, schools, etc.

www.jackierobinson.org Jackie Robinson Foundation - scholarships for minority youth

www.hsf.net Hispanic Scholarship Fund - source with many scholarships for Hispanic youth planning to attend a 2 or 4 year college

Texas Tuition Promise Fund

The Texas Guaranteed Tuition Plan, also known as the Texas Tomorrow Fund, was offered as the original Texas prepaid tuition plan. The plan was open from 1995-2003, and is currently closed to new enrollment. The new Plan opened in 2008, and is known as the Texas Tuition Promise Fund. The primary difference between the Plans:

Texas Tomorrow Fund (Old Plan): The Texas constitution guarantees payment of tuition and required fees for the Plan’s beneficiaries who attend college when their Purchaser redeems their contract for that purpose.
Texas Tuition Promise Fund (New Plan): The Plan is not constitutionally guaranteed, however, Texas law requires all Texas two-year and four-year public colleges and universities to accept tuition units as payment for the applicable portion of tuition and required fees. This law does not apply to private or out-of-state colleges and universities or career schools.

NATIONAL SCHOLARSHIPS

Please check with the college that you plan on attending for incoming freshman scholarships.

Scholarship Websites:

Going Merry - this is a scholarship platform that takes you directly to the scholarship and NOT to advertisements. It matches you with scholarships and gives you an estimate of time needed to complete a particular scholarship application.

National Scholarship List — sorted by deadline date, monthly lists, by major, etc.

American Indian College Fund

Asian and Pacific Islander American Scholarship Fund

Financial Aid for Minority Students

Hispanic Scholarship Fund

Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo Area Go Texan Scholarship

Jack Kent Cooke Foundation

Merit based Scholarships – specific colleges & universities - go to the College or University's website you will be attending and look under Financial Aid

My College Dollars

Questbridge College Match

Sallie Mae Scholarship Search

Sam Houston Electric Cooperative Scholarship (Deadline is Feb. 6)

Scholarships.com

ScholarshipExperts

SFA Smith-Hutson Scholarship (Deadline is Feb. 28)

Society of Women Engineers

StudentScholarships.org

SuperCollege

Terry Foundation Scholarship

The Minnie Stevens Piper Foundation (Compendium of Texas Colleges and Financial Aid Calendar)