The nights are free and open to everyone, whether they are continuing schooling or not. Experts are on hand to answer your questions about financial aid and how to make college more affordable.

What to expect

At these events, financial aid counselors typically talk about:

• Estimating college expenses
• FAFSA and the whole federal financial aid application process
• How to get grants
• Maximizing your potential for scholarship money
• Scholarship search
• Getting private loans
• Avoiding loan and scholarship scams
• Borrowing what you can afford

If you can't go

While many families attend financial aid nights, many do not:

• They assume they earn too much money to qualify for financial aid.
• They are embarrassed to attend.
• They are unable to schedule the time.

If you can't attend, we have the material you need to know. Get started here (and explore our site):

• Do you believe any of these Common financial aid myths?
• See how our 1-2-3 approach for paying for college saves you money.
• Use our Financial aid calendar and stay on track with deadlines.

If you go to a financial aid night, you’ll hear what other families are doing to pay for college.

You'll also hear from financial aid professionals. They won’t be able to answer questions about your specific situation, but they can show you how to borrow right.