Students should visit www.fafsa.ed.gov to complete the online FAFSA. Please note: if a Web site requests credit card information or some other form of payment to complete the FAFSA, then that site is not the official government (FREE) Web site.

Students who are considering loans to pay for their higher education should first consider federal student loans. Federal loans usually offer borrowers lower interest rates and have more flexible repayment options than loans from private sources. To better understand the differences between federal and private student loans, students should view Federal Aid First at www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov. To learn about preparing for, applying for, receiving, and repaying federal loans, students should read Your Federal Student Loans: Learn the Basics and Manage Your Debt at www.studentaid.ed.gov/pubs.

The Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG) was created to encourage students to be academically prepared for college by pursuing a rigorous program of study. For more details, counselors should view "Federal Financial Aid Programs" at www.fsa4counselors.ed.gov. Students who are interested in learning more about ACG requirements should check out the following Web sites:

High school students - www.studentaid.ed.gov (click on "Funding Your Education" under "Applying for Financial Aid")

Middle school students - www.studentaid.ed.gov/early (click on the "Where Do I Start?" page)