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With some of the lowest tuition costs in Iowa, our colleges are a major plus for an affordable college education.

The Financial Aid offices at Clinton, Muscatine and Scott Community Colleges want to let you know that there are a number of options for helping you pay for college. For those who demonstrate the most financial need, there are grants which do not need to be repaid. These include the federal Pell Grant, federal Supplemental Opportunity Grant, federal Academic Competitiveness Grant, the Iowa Vocational/Technical Tuition Grant program, the Iowa Grant and the EICCD grant. There are also three different federal loan programs: subsidized Stafford student loans, unsubsidized Stafford student loans and Federal parent loans.

This includes funding for both full and part-time students. There are also private student loans available through a number of financial institutions. The federal College
Work Study (CWS) program provides limited part-time employment for students who demonstrate financial need.

According to Jane Haugland, District Financial Aid Officer, the best advice is to look into all forms of financing including federal aid, work study, tuition reimbursement from your employer (if you're currently employed), job income, education benefits for displaced workers or scholarships before you consider borrowing money. "The financial aid process can be a little overwhelming, but we're here to help," she adds.

One of the key steps any prospective new student should take is to file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid or FAFSA as soon as possible to be sure your file is received in the Financial Aid office for the fall semester. You may file for aid at any time, but in order to be considered for the maximum amount of financial aid, file your FAFSA by the April 1 priority deadline. Electronic filing is available at www.fafsa.ed.gov (To qualify for federal financial aid of the types mentioned above,
you should be attending college for credit.)