Education is one of the best ways to invest in your own future. Selecting a school to support you on your journey is an important decision that can impact more than your career prospects. However, taking those first steps can be difficult. Discovering which grants, loans and scholarships that may be available to you to offset the cost of tuition is one of the first steps to take.

Like many investments, figuring out how to pay for college tuition can be a little complex. For instance, if you’re wondering how much does it cost to attend Drexel University, Drexel tuition depends on a variety of factors. Making an informed decision about how to pay tuition depends on understanding all your choices.

How Can the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Help?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a program created by the federal government to provide loan and grant opportunities for students. The amount that can be awarded depends on financial information related to both the student and their parents. There are also a variety of basic eligibility requirements, mostly related to academic progress.

How much money does FAFSA give on average? Learn more about the FAFSA as applications are available beginning in October each year.

Grants and Scholarships for Undergraduate and Graduate Students

The difference between scholarships and grants mostly boils down to where the money originates. Both are essentially a gift -- money that doesn’t need to be returned. However, scholarships are often awarded on merit, while grants tend to be based on need, and loans are the most common form of help with college tuition. (Learn more about the differences between scholarships and grants.)

The Department of Labor operates a national scholarship search tool that helps students to explore niche funding opportunities. It’s also worth exploring options available through your program, such as Drexel’s Teacher’s incentive grant. Drexel University’s School of Education has always been driven to help promising future educators to build a career in education, offering scholarships in academic merit, athletics, and more.

Returning to Courses

In some circumstances, your college funding options can change after you’ve left school. In most cases, students returning to school will find that it’s easy to pick up where you left off. Whether you’re working on an undergraduate degree, or you’re looking for funded PhD doctorate programs in education, paperwork is usually the only obstacle. For instance, Drexel students that do not enroll in courses for four consecutive quarters (one full year), may have to apply for readmission.

Additional Funding Resources

Determining how to pay for college after financial aid can involve exploring a variety of different options, from work-study to scholarships. Learn more about our commitment to helping students fund their education:

• Financial Aid for Prospective Students
  Cost of attendance, program eligibility, aid applications – learn about financial aid options for part-time students.
• Financial Aid
  The case-by-case basis of financial aid makes it common to have questions. Find out more about financial aid counseling, and how Drexel students have real time access to the status of their aid.
• Scholarships and Grants
  Funding opportunities for promising future educators are not in short supply. Find out more about applying for scholarships and grants to help pay for college.
• Understanding Student Loans
  Interest rates, repayment plans, eligibility – learn what you need to know about the student loan process. Informed borrowers should be aware of loan limits, lender information, and more.

Start Your Journey Today

Between scholarships, grants, loans, work-study programs, and more, most students have no shortage of options to find ways to pay for college. Start by learning more about the programs available through Drexel University's School of Education.