Fill out a Federal Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) before you or your teen starts applying to colleges. The FAFSA helps determine if grants and loans from the government are available for you. This one form is needed for all government aid, including aid from the GI Bill and profile-based aid.
Send the FAFSA to all of the colleges that you or your teen are planning to apply to. There is an option on the form where you can choose colleges to send your FAFSA form to. Once the colleges receive the FAFSA, need-based scholarships will be determined.
Visit the colleges that you or your teen plans to apply to and ask to talk with the financial aid department. Gather any paperwork and applications needed to apply for the scholarships that you or your teen are eligible for.
Apply for the scholarships directly through the colleges you visited. These generally involve providing a transcript copy, writing an essay and filling out a form. Letters of recommendation might also be needed. Hand all documents into the financial aid department and ask when decisions will be made.
Use websites that help you or your teen get student aid from third party sources or organizations. One example is FastWeb.com. Through this type of site, you can enter all eligibility factors, including financial aid status, area of interest and demographic information, and receive updates on available scholarships that you or your teen might be eligible to apply for. Follow all instructions for applying.