INSIGHTi
Planning and Paying for College: Federal
Government Resources
Updated June 13, 2023
This Insight describes federal online resources intended to help students and parents plan and acquire
funds for postsecondary education. These include federal resources that provide general information on
scholarships, grants, fellowships, and internships for undergraduate and graduate students; federal student
aid (FSA) programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education; and funding particular to specific
education disciplines and categories of students. Some resources contain information on the repayment,
forgiveness, and discharge of educational debt.
General Resources
The following websites provide planning tools for pursuing postsecondary education, including financial
aid information and information on planning and developing skills for careers.
U.S. Department of Education
The Federal Student Aid website helps students learn about how financial aid works, the types of
assistance, and how to apply for financial aid and for an individual FSA account. The website includes
information on how aid is calculated, tips for comparing school aid offers, and how to accept financial
aid. Students also can learn about repaying loans, consolidating loans, applying for loan forgiveness
programs, and avoiding default. A Coronavirus and Forbearance Info for Students, Borrowers, and
Parents web page addresses questions about temporary COVID-19 emergency relief measures and
flexibilities for federal student loans.
College Affordability and Transparency Center (CATC) provides a one-stop site of tools for parents and
students to compare colleges’ tuition and fees, net prices, and costs.
• College Scorecard is a comparison tool for information on school sizes, settings,
graduation rates, average costs, and salary ranges per field of study.
• CollegeNavigator is a search tool for individual school data and for creating lists of
schools by size, setting, selectivity, degree programs, location, institution type, religious
affiliation, and other categories.
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• Net Price Calculator Center—Search for Schools’ Calculator is a search tool for
institutions’ net price calculators, which allow students to calculate an estimated net price
of attendance at an institution (defined as cost of attendance minus grant and scholarship
aid) based on what similar students paid in a previous year. Individuals may also contact
the postsecondary institution directly if they have questions about a specific net price
calculator.
The Knowledge Center website provides guidance, resources, and information related to the
administration and processing of financial aid programs for postsecondary students authorized under Title
IV of the Higher Education Act (HEA). Title IV of the HEA authorizes funding through grants and loans
to students and higher education institutions. Although designed for financial aid administrators, the
website includes detailed information on rules for federal student aid, including the Federal Student Aid
Handbook.
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau
Paying for College provides information on making informed financial decisions about how to pay for
college. It includes financial guides for understanding student loans and repayment options and for
managing money while in college, such as choosing a bank account and the impact of financial aid
disbursement on financial accounts.
Department of the Treasury
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)—Tax Benefits for Education: Information Center provides an overview
on tax credits, deductions, and savings plans to help taxpayers with their higher education expenses. The
center also links to the IRS’s Interactive Tax Assistant tool to help determine eligibility for educational
credits or deductions.
Department of Labor
CareerOneStop GetMyFuture provides a one-stop site of tools targeted to individuals aged 16 to 24 to
explore careers, learn about and locate training or education programs, and conduct a successful job
search.
• CareerOneStop Scholarship Finder is a search tool for scholarships, fellowships, loans,
and other financial aid opportunities. Users can search by keyword or by category (e.g.,
award type, residence preferences, and study level). The information is provided under a
third-party license and includes nonfederal resources.
• CareerOneStop Explore Careers provides information tools for identifying, planning, and
developing skills for careers.
Apprenticeship.gov provides career seekers, employers, and educators information on apprenticeship
opportunities by type of industry, Department of Labor- and industry-recognized apprenticeship
programs, and state tuition support initiatives.
Federal Trade Commission
The Education and Training website provides an overview on avoiding educational scams by providing
tips on choosing a college or vocational school, paying for school, avoiding fake degrees, and other
scams. It includes information on how to report financial aid, scholarship, and student loan scams to the
FTC at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and your state attorney general.
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Resources for Specific Purposes or Populations
The following resources, organized by federal agency, provide information on college and career planning
for specialized educational disciplines (e.g., international studies, health) and categories of students (e.g.,
veterans, military personnel, and dependents).
Department of Health and Human Services
Education & Training Opportunities serves as a portal to Department of Health and Human Services
education and training opportunities for health professionals and students, including programs that
support health care providers and researchers.
Health Resources and Services Administration Loans & Scholarships provides links to scholarships and
loan repayment programs, such as the Native Hawaiian Health Scholarship, National Health Service
Corps (scholarship or loan repayment), and Nurse Corps (scholarship or loan repayment).
Department of State
Student Resources provides a portal to a broad range of State Department educational resources.
• Exchange Programs for U.S. Citizens provides resources on undergraduate and graduate
exchange experiences, travel and living arrangements, and finding programs.
• USA Study Abroad provides resources on study abroad programs for U.S. citizens who
are high school, undergraduate, and graduate students. See U.S. government student
programs and scholarships for high school through graduate school students and Foreign
Government Scholarships applicable to U.S. students.
Department of Veterans Affairs
Veterans Benefits Administration and Education and Training provides information on education benefits
available to honorably discharged veterans and servicemembers (including reservists and National Guard
members) and educational assistance for survivors and dependents.
Author Information
Laura L. Monagle
Research Librarian
Disclaimer
This document was prepared by the Congressional Research Service (CRS). CRS serves as nonpartisan shared staff
to congressional committees and Members of Congress. It operates solely at the behest of and under the direction of
Congress. Information in a CRS Report should not be relied upon for purposes other than public understanding of
information that has been provided by CRS to Members of Congress in connection with CRS’s institutional role.
CRS Reports, as a work of the United States Government, are not subject to copyright protection in the United
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States. Any CRS Report may be reproduced and distributed in its entirety without permission from CRS. However,
as a CRS Report may include copyrighted images or material from a third party, you may need to obtain the
permission of the copyright holder if you wish to copy or otherwise use copyrighted material.
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