eLearners.com Resource Helps Prospective Students Figure Out Financial Aid

HOBOKEN, NJ, August 12, 2011 (Press-News.org) eLearners.com today announced a new resource available to prospective students interested in learning more about the types of financial aid they can use to pay for online education. Part of its Guide to Online Education, the College Costs and Financial Aid series provides critical information for those considering online college classes, but are uncertain about how they are going to finance their studies. The eLearners.com Guide details what options students have and explains the differences between the various kinds of financial aid so that they are informed about all of the funding sources they may be eligible for. Anyone thinking about going to school online, from taking online courses to earning a masters degree online should be aware of the assistance that is available.

Types of aid covered in the College Costs and Financial Aid series include:

Scholarships & Grants: Scholarship and grant monies do not need to be repaid. These awards can be need-based or merit-based; students just need to meet eligibility requirements and apply. Some are competitive, so for those programs there is no guarantee that applicants will receive awards; however, others such as the Federal Pell Grant, are not competitive and all applicants that submit the required information and are found eligible receive benefits. Scholarships and grants are offered by many sources including schools, federal and state governments, as well as local, regional and national organizations.

FAFSA & Federal Aid: The FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is a form that students must complete to be considered for federal financial aid. It is also used by many schools and scholarship and grant programs to determine financial need and eligibility.

Student Loans: Student loans must be repaid. The two main types of loans are federal student loans and private loans. Federal student loans typically have lower interest rates and many are need-based. Eligibility for federal student loans is determined by the FAFSA. Well known federal student loan programs include PLUS Loans - Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students; Federal Un-Subsidized Stafford Loans (non need-based); Subsidized Stafford Loans (need-based); and Perkins Loans. Private loans, also called alternative or non-federal loans, are not sponsored by government agencies and instead are awarded through banks, non-profit organizations and other financial institutions.

Employer Tuition Reimbursement: Some employers offer tuition assistance, or tuition reimbursement, programs for employees pursuing higher education. Benefits and eligibility vary widely and students should check with their employer's HR office to determine what benefits are offered.

Detailed information about these types of financial aid programs and more can be found by visiting the Guide to Online Education at http://www.elearners.com/guide/college-costs-and-financial-aid/. eLearners.com also offers the Debt Free College Guide, a searchable, state-by-state directory of scholarships and grants, loan forgiveness and loan repayment programs, tax deductions and other financial aid programs available to help pay for higher education.

Students interested in learning more about online courses and degree programs should visit eLearners.com.

About eLearners.com
Since 1999, eLearners.com has been successfully connecting prospective students interested in online degree, certification and training programs with a wide selection of online accredited colleges and universities. eLearners.com offers a powerful search engine that indexes thousands of program offerings online, as well as a variety of educational evaluation tools and financial aid resources. eLearners.com offers schools seeking prospective students a low-cost, performance-based method to gain national exposure and increase enrollments in their programs.

Contact:
Lindsey Mikal
Communications Strategy Group
lmikal@csg-pr.com
(303) 433-7020