Financial Aid
Nearly every student is eligible for some form of financial aid. FAFSA is the application used by nearly all colleges and universities to determine eligibility for federal, state, and college-sponsored financial aid, including grants, educational loans, and work-study programs.
The CSS PROFILE is required by some private colleges and universities to determine eligibility for non-government financial aid, such as the institution’s own grants, loans, and scholarships. Click here for an FAQ about the CSS PROFILE.
The biggest differences between the CSS PROFILE and the FAFSA are:
- Submission dates: The CSS PROFILE and FAFSA can both be submitted in the fall.
- Specific questions: The CSS PROFILE contains questions specific to the school or program you’re applying to; FAFSA contains the same questions for everyone.
- Different methodology: The CSS PROFILE determines your financial need differently than the FAFSA, taking into account such factors as whether your family owns a home. In general, the CSS PROFILE asks for more detailed information than FAFSA.
- Minimum student contribution: The CSS PROFILE requires this; the FAFSA doesn’t.
- Greater reliance on professional judgment: The CSS PROFILE gives financial aid counselors greater freedom to grant aid based on a student’s particular circumstances.
- Cost: CSS PROFILE costs $25 plus $16 for each school or scholarship program selected; the FAFSA, as the name implies, is free.
- To access the CSS PROFILE, click here
FAFSA Day Massachusetts, a College Goal Sunday Program, is a non-profit, volunteer-driven program providing free assistance to students and families seeking to complete the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid.
The Massachusetts Educational Financial Authority (MEFA) is a non-profit organization that strives to make college more accessible and affordable for Massachusetts students and families. MEFA helps families, plan, save, and pay for college.
Open to students of all ages and income levels, our Brockton Center offers guidance on college selection and financing, managing money, college guidebooks and resources, and career planning services. We also partner with the Massachusetts Career Information System, built by the Massachusetts Division of Employment and Training (DET).
As part of the Federal TRIO Program’s Educational Opportunity Centers (EOC), we focus on providing low-income, first-generation students with assistance in their pursuit of postsecondary education opportunities.
Brockton College Planning Center
231 Main Street, Suite R (Point your GPS to 27 Belmont St for the entrance)
Brockton, MA, 02301
View Map
(866) 891-4716 or brockcpc@asa.org
Monday – Friday: 8:30 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Please print and complete this form before your first visit. Students will need a parent or guardian’s signature.
Use this college cost calculator when you receive financial aid offers to compare the aid you receive and determine your estimated college costs and balance due at each prospective college. Final costs for your selected college will be determined at the time your bill is issued, typically in June or July.
MEFA Events – Massachusetts Educational Financing Authority offers free informative webinars and virtual community events on a range of topics, including College Financing. College Financing includes information and clarity on the entire college financial aid application process. You’ll learn about financial aid applications and types of financial aid, the factors that determine your aid eligibility, how colleges determine the amount of aid to offer, and the details of financial aid offers.
Scholarships
Massachusetts residents are eligible for more than 950 undergraduate and graduate degree programs through Tuition Break. The programs are offered by public colleges and universities in Connecticut, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont — all at a substantial tuition discount. Eligible students are charged a tuition rate that is significantly less than the regular out-of-state tuition rate.
Mike Rowe Works Scholarship – for high school graduates who plan to enroll in a trade program certification or training.
Massachusetts Construction Advancement Program (MCAP) give out scholarship awards each year to deserving individuals who are enrolled in a construction or civil engineering degree program.
LendEDU – New search tool where students can filter scholarship opportunities based on their grade level, GPA, the scholarship amount, and the requirements of the scholarship.
FASTWEB – Search for scholarships for college students with our free matching service for scholarships. Also learn about financial aid and student loan options to find money to pay for college.
College Board’s Scholarship Search engine partners with over 2,200 programs and has a number of filters to help you narrow down your options. You can enter personal and academic information to find scholarships for which you’d qualify or you can search for scholarships by type. Some scholarships honor academic achievement, while others prioritize students involved in certain activities.
Cappex – https://www.cappex.com/
Chegg – http://www.chegg.com/
CollegeNet – https://www.collegenet.com/elect/app/app
Naviance – https://student.naviance.com/oliverames
Peterson’s – https://www.petersons.com/
Scholarship Monkey – https://apply.surveymonkey.com/solutions/scholarships/Unigo – http://www.scholarshipmonkey.com/
The Dream Scholarship – Opportunity Scholarship for undocumented students who live in states where they effectively have no access to college – either because they face paying out-of-state tuition or because their state will simply not admit them into its universities.
Massachusetts Application for State Financial Aid (MASFA) is now available at mass.edu/tuitionequity/home.asp. This is an important step towards tuition equity in the Commonwealth. The MASFA allows undocumented students to apply for state financial aid for the first time.
The MASFA is for students who have completed at least three years of high school in Massachusetts and received a diploma but are ineligible for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to their immigration status.
Auxilia is a collection of financial aid data for hundreds of the most popular colleges and universities in the United States. You’ll be able to compare and contrast how each institution offers financial aid packages to international students, helping you make more informed choices during the application process.
More information coming soon.
Oliver Ames Scholarship Packet – Click to view packet.
Scholarship Applications are CLOSED.