Pay for School

It's never too early to start researching potential funding for college, especially because scholarship deadlines vary widely. Colleges & Universities also vary widely on their deadlines for financial aid & scholarships, so be sure to check with your college or university of interest as well as checking federal and state dates.

Important deadlines are in February and March (usually the 15th) for Idaho Seniors for both FAFSA and the College Board Financial Profile. Do check with your school of interest about THEIR deadlines for scholarship applications and financial aid submission deadlines.

APPLY AS EARLY AS OCTOBER!

The 2023-2024 FAFSA will be open on October 1, 2022 - (This earlier application date started in 2016, and is three months earlier than previous opening dates.) Your student is now to complete and submit a FAFSA as early as Oct. 1 every year at fafsa.gov.

Students will now use "prior-prior" year tax information when reporting personal & family income -- This is a major change and one of the main causes for delay in submitting a complete FAFSA in the past. Now, when completing the 2023-2024 FAFSA, your 2021 tax information will be requested. You can use the IRS Data Retrieval tool to automatically transfer your 2021 Federal income tax data. (This is beneficial, as it saves time and reduces errors).

See further information about different types of funding opportunities and links below.

North Idaho Scholarships plus State, Regional & Other Scholarships

Scholarship deadlines vary widely (Note: February & March are BIG deadline months for the following Fall semester), so don't miss out on local and regional opportunities!

Also check with your college or university of interest for scholarships offered by those institutions.

Visit our Scholarship Page for a comprehensive list of local, regional, and state scholarships
Next Steps Idaho Scholarship Search 101
Scholarship Opportunities and Deadlines through Idaho State Board of Eduation (Next Steps Idaho Website)
Deadlines in February and March. Applicants who need SAT/ACT scores must take these exams no later than December in order to have results back by scholarship deadlines. The state scholarships application will be available early December for the following academic year.
Scholarship Opportunities from the Idaho Community Foundation
ICF manages over 70 different scholarship funds – each customized according to the desires of the fund creator. Each has its own eligibility criteria, application requirements, and review process. Many have their own applications, deadlines, and eligibility requirements. Click on the name of each fund to learn more about the criteria and how to apply.
Idaho Scholarships on the Idaho State Board of Education Website
FastWeb - National Scholarship Search

Financial Aid

Important deadlines are in February and March for Idaho Seniors for both FAFSA and the College Board Financial Profile. Do check with your school of interest about THEIR deadlines for scholarship applications and financial aid submission deadlines.

TIP: You do not NEED to have your previous year's taxes filed prior to completing a FAFSA or College Board Financial Profile, so don't wait. You will provide estimates and then update the application once taxes have been filed.

Idaho College & University Annual Sticker Prices (Next Steps Idaho Website)
COMPREHENSIVE resource for Financial Aid at the U.S. Dept. of Educations Federal Student Aid Website
Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) - https://fafsa.ed.gov/
Most counselors encourage Students & Families complete a FAFSA application even if they don't think they'll qualify or won't need the assistance. FAFSA applications are now available in OCTOBER of the year PRIOR to the year your senior will graduate, and the deadline is usually mid March. If you Google "FAFSA" you may find 3rd Party websites that appear to be FAFSA applications sites, but will actually charge you a fee to apply. Be sure to use the http://FAFSA.ed.gov website.
College Board Financial Aid Profile, aka "CSS Profile"
The CSS Profile is another online application and is connected with your student's College Board account.
North Idaho College Financial Aid Office

Work/Study Programs

Federal Work-Study jobs help students earn money to pay for college or career school. Undergraduate and graduate students with work-study jobs will work part-time on or off-campus while enrolled.

Work Study overview at the US Dept. of Education's Federal Student Aid Website
Visit your school of interest's website for their work study opportunities.
Atwell J. Parry Work Study Program for Idaho residents/students (Link no longer works ... pending State Board of Education Website update)
North Idaho College Work Study Program

Other Funding for Education

Pell Grants
Federal Pell Grants are usually awarded only to undergraduate students. The amount of aid you can receive depends on your financial need, the cost of attendance at your school, and more.

About Pell Grants from studentaid.ed.gov

Student Loans

College Savings Accounts - Plan Ahead!

It's never too early to start thinking about your child's education, and to get them involved in the process. Consider a savings program, such as a 529 Plan (A 529 plan is a tax-advantaged savings plan designed to encourage saving for future college costs. 529 plans, legally known as “qualified tuition plans,” are sponsored by states, state agencies, or educational institutions and are authorized by Section 529 of the Internal Revenue Code. For more info visit SEC.gov).

Idaho's College Saving Program is called IDeal.

Visit https://www.idsaves.org for more information