In order to effectively manage your financial aid, you need to be informed about all of the resources and options available to you. We’ve collected a few tips and tools to help make financing your education more manageable.
Complete Required 金融知识 Program
研究生做好准备 will walk you through all of the smart steps you need to take in order to pay for college, 管理你的钱, and repay any student loans you choose to take.
Please note: There are now two GradReady sites for module completion. One is for cur租金 students and one is for the first-year experience online orientation. 请参阅下文:
First Year Experience Online Orientation Requirement
皮特大学在读学生
If you have any questions, please contact 金融援助
得到指令 for logging in and completing the requirements.
Learn 金融援助 Terms
金融援助 can sometimes be confusing, so make sure you are familiar with the 术语和定义 surrounding your financial aid.
制定预算
It is important for you to budget during your college career. Keep in mind that budgeting involves both the short term and long term planning. Short term expenses are things like books for your classes, 租金, and paying for other daily activities. The long term involves planning to repay your loans, buying a car, and planning for your future. Learning to budget now will make your future much easier to navigate. Check out the budgeting advice and tools provided by 联邦学生资助.
监控你的贷款
You will want to monitor your financial aid while you are in college. 通过登录你的 National Student Loan Data System record, you can view your federal aid once you are logged in by clicking on MY AID. This site will allow you to monitor the types and amounts of your federal loans and Pell grants. This is especially important since some financial aid funds are limited or capped.
Know Your 联邦服务机构
If you borrow a federal loan, you will work with a 联邦服务机构. It is important to know who your servicer is and to have the contact information for them.
Understand your Gap Financing Options
If you are considering financing your education with a Pa租金 PLUS Loan or a private student loan, it’s important to be informed when weighing your options. Check out this chart for 本科 students for more information.
Understand Your Loan Repayment Options
Make sure you understand why and how to repay your student loans. You will want to research the variety of repayment options you may have. On the 联邦学生资助 website, you can learn about forbearance, 延期, and all other pertinent information about your loans.
Stay Informed About 金融援助 and 金融知识
The Pennsylvania Higher 教育 Assistance Agency (PHEAA) has 许多有用的工具 to make the transition to college easier. On their website You Can Deal With It, they share things like information guides for borrowers and pa租金s, 关于预算的建议, and timelines for the financial aid process.
Consolidating Your Loans
Throughout your education, you may borrow loans from diffe租金 loan servicers. Instead of having a separate payment for each individual servicer, you may have the option to consolidate your loan payments into one single payment.
Rehabilitate Your Loans
If you find yourself in default on a student loan, you may use 贷款康复 as a way to get out of the default status.
Loan Forgiveness, Cancellation, or Discharge
There are certain situations where your loans may be forgiven, 取消了, or discharged including disability, 就业类型, and other circumstances. In this case, you would no longer be expected to repay your loan. The 联邦学生资助 website lists several qualifications for these conditions.