Families need to consider the cost of the completed college education as they plan for the future. The College Cost Projection calculator is one of many places on-line where families can get a fuller picture concerning the total cost of college.

It is expected that each student and/or family will assist in financing the education of family members beyond high school. An "Estimated Family Contribution" or "EFC" is determined with the completion of the FAFSA form. Based on the EFC, the amount of financial aid available for the student is determined. Families interested in determining the potential EFC they will deal with will find assistance at the Princeton Review Estimated Family Contribution Calculator.

Frequently students and parents struggle with the need to seek loans to meet the cost of higher education. A number of web sites provide helpful calculators to give families a better picture of repayment schedules and interest rates. A typical loan calculator is found at FinAid.org

Investment in an education is one of the major financial decisions a student and family will make in a lifetime. For the Christian school family that has seen the provision of God and knows that God will continue to provide, the projected costs of a college education can still raise significant financial issues. Resources are available in the public and private sector to assist families to reach their educational goals. The resources included on this page are intended to orient families to the process and resources that may be used by God to provide the financial needs for a higher education.

Financial Aid Information and Resources

Schreiner University in Texas has developed a brief slide presentation providing information students and parents should know about the financial aid process. The subtitle of the presentation, Everything to know about Financial Aid & How It Fits Together. For Parents and Students provides an excellent overview of the financial process.

The US Government provides students and parents with information concerning financial aid issues and resources available from the government at the web site Student Aid on the Web. An additional source of information from the federal government is the booklet Funding Beyond High School. The booklet is available in the high school guidance office or on-line in an electronic format at http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

One of the most popular places to find information and advice concerning financial aid is FinAid.com. This is a public service site that is free for students and parents. A great deal of information can be gleaned by working through the different pages.

CCS Email Directory

CCS TeacherWeb Directory

Email CCS for more information

Phone CCS for more information

Additional Useful Connections for the Financial Aid Process

Additional Scholarship Connections including scholarship searches and specific scholarships are available to interested Cumberland Christian School students.

In order to complete the FAFSA electronically on-line, it is necessary to obtain a government PIN number. This number can and should be obtained before plans are made to complete the FAFSA. Both parents and students need their own PIN. This site can be reached at www.pin.ed.gov.

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid form can be completed on paper or electronically. The paper forms are available at either the high school guidance office or the local college financial aid office. IT IS NEVER A REQUIREMENT FOR A FAMILY TO PAY TO COMPLETE THE FAFSA ON-LINE. IF PAYMENT IS REQUESTED IT IS LIKELY THAT YOU ARE ON THE WRONG WEB SITE. The official web site is reached at www.fafsa.ed.gov.

It is required that all young males register with the Selective Service within 30 days of their 18th birthday. Students can register at the local post office or on-line. Registration is required in order to receive any financial aid from the government and many other sources The link for on-line registration is www.sss.gov.

Some colleges or scholarship may require additional financial information concerning a student to award non-government funds. The usual service that is used to complete this task is the College Board CSS Financial Aid Profile. There is a cost for this service. Students should only complete this information when a school in which they are highly interested requires it. Use www.profileonline.collegeboard.com to connect to the CSS Profile.

Students and parents should beware of attempts to take advantage of families looking for financial assistance. A very helpful collection of warning signs to be alert for is found on the FinAid web site at Protecting Yourself from Scholarship Scams.

Fast Web provides periodic bulletins concerning financial aid and scholarship issues. The current bulletin can be reached at Fast Web Student Bulletins.