Paying for College
College is more affordable than you think.
Financial aid can help cover tuition, housing, books, and more —
and it all starts with the FAFSA.
Need-Based Financial Aid
Financial aid can help make college affordable for students and families. Grants, scholarships, work-study, and federal loans often begin with one application: the FAFSA.
What Is Need-Based Financial Aid?
Need-based financial aid is money awarded based on a student’s financial situation. Colleges and the federal government use information from the FAFSA to determine eligibility for grants, scholarships, work-study, and some student loans.
- Need-based aid can help cover:
- Tuition and fees
- Housing and meals
- Books and supplies
- Transportation
- Other education expenses
The FAFSA
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the key to accessing grants, scholarships, work-study, and student loans.
Colleges and career schools use the FAFSA form to determine how much financial aid you're eligible to receive, which could include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and loans.
You must apply for aid every year, but with the right information in hand, it's easy.
Watch this short video to understand how it works:
What You’ll Need
- Social Security Number (if applicable)
- Tax returns (student + parent)
- Bank account information
- FSA ID (login for FAFSA)
We Can Help
Need Help? We’ve Got You.
You don’t have to do this alone. Our team helps students and families complete the FAFSA step-by-step.
Get support from The Bridge: Kaua‘i to College
Why FAFSA Matters
- You could receive free money (grants you don’t repay)
- Many scholarships require FAFSA completion
- Colleges use FAFSA to build your financial aid package
- It opens access to federal work-study and loans
When to Apply
FAFSA opens every year on October 1.
Apply as early as possible to maximize your aid.
You Don’t Have to Figure It Out Alone
Financial aid forms and college costs can feel confusing — especially for first-generation students and families.
The Bridge: Kaua‘i to College helps students and caregivers understand the process step-by-step.
TYPES OF AID
Grants
Free money
Scholarships
Earned Aid
Work-Study
Part-time jobs
Federal Loans
Borrowed funds
what does "full Need" mean?
A full need college promises to cover 100% of a student's demonstrated financial need through grants, scholarship, work-study and other financial aid.
In many cases, these colleges can cost the same - or even less - than a public university.
Why does that matter?
Many students assume that highly selective colleges are too expensive. The truth is that some of the nations' most prestigious colleges offer the most generous financial aid.
If you are admitted and qualify for financial aid, a FULL NEED college will work to "bridge" the gap between what your family can afford and the actual cost of attendance.
Important to Know
Full Need does not always mean Full Ride
Each college calculates what it believes your family can contribute. The college then provide financial aid to cover the remaining demonstrated need.
Some schools meet need entirely with grants, while others may include work-study or student loans as part of the financial aid package.
How The Bridge Can Help
The Bridge can help scholars:
Build a College List
Understand Financial
Aid
Complete the FAFSA
Identify Scholarship Opportunities
Compare Financial Aid Offers
Full Need Colleges
Examples of FULL NEED Colleges
Amherst College, Massachusetts
Barnard College, New York
Boston College, Massachusetts
Bowdoin College, Maine
Brandeis University, Massachusetts
Brown University, Rhode Island
California Institute of Technology, California
Claremont McKenna College, California
College of the Holy Cross, Massachusetts
Columbia University, New York
Cornell University, New York
Curtis Institute of Music, Pennsylvania
Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
Davidson College, North Carolina
Duke University, North Carolina
Emory University, Georgia
Georgetown University, Washington, D.C.
Grinnell College, Iowa
Hamilton College, New York
Harvard University, Massachusetts
Harvey Mudd College, California
Haverford College, Pennsylvania
Johns Hopkins University, Maryland
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Middlebury College, Vermont
Minerva Schools at Keck Graduate Institute, California
Northwestern University, Illinois
Olin College, Massachusetts
Pomona College, California
Princeton University, New Jersey
Rice University, Texas
Stanford University, California
St. John's College, Maryland/New Mexico
Swarthmore College, Pennsylvania
University of Chicago, Illinois
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
University of Notre Dame, Indiana
University of Pennsylvania
University of Richmond, Virginia
University of Rochester, New York
University of Southern California
University of Virginia
Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
Vassar College, New York
Wellesley College, Massachusetts
Williams College, Massachusetts
ALSO (just a little smaller...)
Bates College
Byn Mawr College
Carleton College
Colby College
Colgate University
Colorado College
Emory College
Lafayette College
Lehigh University
Macalester College
Mount Holyoke College
Oberlin College
Pitzer College
Reed College
Scripps College
Skidmore College
Smith College
Thomas Aquinas College
Trinity College
Tufts University
Union College
Washington University in St. Louis
Wesleyan University