Category Archives: Financial Aid

Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning Interest-Free Student Loans Application

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The online application for interest-free student loans at Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning is now open! Students can apply at www.lancdollars.org until April 30th for the 2024-25 academic year. Please note, prior to applying, students will need to complete the FAFSA and then submit the FSS (FAFSA Submission Summary) as a requirement of the loan application. 

Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning’s mission is to provide financial resources to Lancaster County residents in support of their post-secondary educational goals. They have provided more than $19,000,000 in interest-free loans since 1961! 

Financial Aid Night Presentation

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Thank you to everyone who attended Financial Aid Night on October 24th! Sonya Mann-McFarlane from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency (PHEAA) was our guest speaker and did a fantastic job providing our students and families with an overview of financial aid and the application process.

A copy of her presentation can be found here:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18Io5XnB46tK0NLkz6jVVILAqCsMTQutj/view?usp=sharing

We also have materials available in the Counseling Office for those who were unable to attend. Thank you to everyone involved for such an informative evening!

PHEAA Announces April Webinars

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Paying for College and Options for Balances  4/4 Tuesday, Noon;  4/20 Thursday, 6:30pm This one-hour webinar is for students and families that are starting to plan or are in the thick of decisions with May 1st, National Admissions Day, right around the corner. Affording the costs is one topic that is on everyone’s mind. This presentation by PHEAA’s Daniel Wray and Linda Pacewicz of the PAForward program will review the types of  Aid available, what needs to be done to check for eligibility and provide tips on the options for covering the balances and making affordable decisions. Don’t miss it! 

Financial Aid and Planning Q&A with PHEAA   4/6 Thursday, 6:30pm;  4/18 Tuesday, Noon Articles related to funding a higher education are in the news almost every day and it can lead even the most knowledgeable of us into information overload. Have you ever wanted to simply ask a few specific questions, yet couldn’t find anyone to ask?  Maybe you have questions about planning for college, finding the right school, applying for scholarships, applying for federal and state aid, understanding offer letters, completing loan applications, comparing federal loans to private loans,  repaying/refinancing loans after graduation – etc.  Join Linda Pacewicz and Daniel Wray of PHEAA for a wide open one hour Q&A session.  Ask your questions in an open  forum or privately via the chat. Hope to see you there!

REGISTER: https://www.pheaa.org/virtual

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Apply for an interest-free loan from Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning

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Seniors! Lancaster Dollars for Higher Learning online loan application period is OPEN! The deadline is 4/28/23 to apply for our interest-free student loans for the 2023-24 school year. Since 1961, LDHL has provided more than 14,000 loans totaling more than $19 million! We can help students achieve their educational dreams. Apply online at  https://lancdollars.org/ 

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Upcoming Financial Aid Webinars

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Advanced Planning for Financing Higher Education   

2/21/23 Tuesday 6:30pm

The thought of Higher Education costs can be overwhelming, however planning and identifying what you can do to help lessen those costs is an important step.  It’s never too early or too late to start understanding what those costs are and what is available to help maintain, plan and help you make affordable decisions.  Join Dan Wray and Linda Pacewicz of PHEAA’s PA Forward Program in a one hour webinar to begin that process and become prepared.

Searching for Scholarships and Affording the Balance  

2/9/23 Thursday Noon;  2/23/23 Thursday 6:30pm

There are many ways to pay for education, and one important step is to search and apply for Scholarships. More free money equals less borrowing.  This presentation will review the types of options available, along with tips on applying.  It will also offer samples of fun scholarship options to get you started.  We’ll then review what to do about the balances that might be left over in order to make affordable higher education decisions.  Join PHEAA for an hour of detailed information on this topic.

Register here

Your one stop shop! Here is a list of helpful financial aid links and their descriptions.

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ResourceNote
Board of Governors Scholarship for PASSHE SchoolsProvides the 2020-21 scholarship cut-offs for a scholarship specific to PASSHE schools.
CSS ProfileFinancial aid application required by some schools but not all.
CSS Profile explanation slidesOverview of CSS Profile.
CSS Profile list of institutionsList of schools that require CSS.
FAFSA login creationMust be done before starting FAFSA.
FAFSA websiteGather all documents before you start.
FAFSA completion guide (simple and in-depth)“How-to” guides
Financial aid guide for studentsGets you started with financial aid
Financial aid guide for undocumented studentsBest overview out there – and if you find one better, let us know!
Financial aid resources for counselorsPHEAA’s page with counselor resources
Financial aid resources for studentsPHEAA’s page with student resources
Foster care: Chafee GrantChafee is a national program for people who have been in foster care, and this is the PA website
Foster care: free tuition in PAPA has a new program offering free tuition for people who have been in foster care
How much aid is given by each collegeLists the percent of need met by 450+ colleges, plus the average aid package
PA State Grant instructionsStep-by-step guide for applying to PA’s state grant
State grant websites for DE, MD, NJ, and PALinks to each state’s websites
Scholarship guide from Malvern PrepCompilation of PA and national scholarship sites
Scholarship guide from Girard CollegeCompilation of Philly-area, identity-based, highly selective, lower selectivity, and national sites
TheDream.USScholarship resources for undocumented and DACAmented students who came to the US before November 2016