Federal Student Aid and Financial Aid Resources

Federal Student Aid is the U.S. Department of Education office that manages federal grants, loans, work-study, FAFSA, and other financial aid programs that help students pay for college or career school.

FAFSA® Application is the official federal application students and families use to apply for financial aid for college, career school, or graduate school.

Federal Student Aid: Filling Out the FAFSA® Form explains how to complete the FAFSA, including what information families need to provide and how marital status, income, and contributors are handled.

Federal Student Aid: Student Loan Repayment explains how federal student loan repayment works, including repayment plans, grace periods, and what happens after a student leaves school or drops below half-time enrollment.

Federal Student Aid: Grace Period FAQ explains that the length of a student loan grace period is typically six months, although it can vary depending on the type of loan.

Federal Student Aid Handbook is the technical reference schools use for federal student aid rules, including FAFSA, Pell Grants, withdrawals, satisfactory academic progress, professional judgment, and Return of Title IV funds.

Federal Student Aid Handbook: Special Cases / Professional Judgment explains how financial aid administrators may review special circumstances when a family’s FAFSA no longer reflects their current financial reality.

Federal Student Aid Handbook: FAFSA Assets explains how different assets may be reported on FAFSA, including cash, savings, investments, 529 plans, trusts, UGMA/UTMA accounts, and excluded assets such as retirement plans and the family’s principal residence.

College Board CSS Profile is a financial aid application used by some colleges and scholarship programs to award non-federal institutional aid.

College Navigator is a free U.S. Department of Education tool that helps families compare colleges, costs, graduation rates, financial aid, programs, and other school information.

Social Security and Survivor Benefits

Social Security Survivor Benefits explains survivor benefits that may be available to eligible family members after the death of someone who worked and paid Social Security taxes.

Social Security: Benefits for Children explains when children may qualify for Social Security benefits, what documentation may be needed, and how benefits generally work for children after a parent’s death.

Social Security: Benefits for Children After the Death of a Parent is a short SSA resource explaining that child survivor benefits are generally paid until age 18 or high school graduation, with additional rules for children with disabilities.

Grief, Student Support, and Mental Health Resources

Coalition to Support Grieving Students provides school-focused resources to help educators and communities support grieving students.

Coalition to Support Grieving Students: Impact on Learning explains how grief can affect learning, including concentration, memory, sleep, anxiety, sadness, and temporary academic challenges after a death.

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement helps schools support students through crisis and loss and is directed by David J. Schonfeld, MD, FAAP.

National Center for School Crisis and Bereavement: Teacher Training Modules offers free training materials for school professionals supporting grieving students.

American Academy of Pediatrics: Supporting the Grieving Child and Family is a 2024 clinical report offering practical guidance for talking with and supporting grieving children and families.

PubMed: Supporting the Grieving Child and Family provides the PubMed record for the American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report on supporting grieving children and families.

Research on Bereaved College Students

Help-Seeking Behavior in Bereaved University and College Students is a peer-reviewed 2022 study examining bereaved students’ grief, mental-health distress, personal growth, support needs, and barriers to seeking help.

Well-Being and Academic Experiences in Bereaved University Students is a peer-reviewed study of bereaved university students that found nearly half reported worse academic experiences after bereavement and 30.4% had potential prolonged grief.

University of Western Australia: Well-Being and Academic Experiences in Bereaved University Students provides an accessible university repository record for the same study.

Differences in University Experiences, Support Seeking, and Mental Well-Being According to Bereavement Status is a peer-reviewed study comparing bereaved and non-bereaved university students’ experiences, support seeking, and mental well-being.

College Planning and Cost Resources

Taming the High Cost of College is Brad Baldridge’s college planning resource site, offering guidance for families on planning, saving, paying for college, financial aid, scholarships, and reducing college costs.

About Brad Baldridge provides background on Brad Baldridge, CFP®, including his experience helping families plan and pay for college.

Taming the High Cost of College Resources provides free tools and resources related to college costs, scholarships, financial aid, and planning.

Saving for College provides consumer education about 529 plans, financial aid, scholarships, student loans, and college savings strategies.

Saving for College: Does a 529 Plan Affect Financial Aid? explains how 529 plans and certain student-owned assets may affect financial aid eligibility.