You’ve submitted your Free Application for Federal Student Aid (or FAFSA®) form, and you’ve received your FAFSA Submission Summary. Now, you may be wondering where your financial aid is. The colleges, career schools, or trade schools that you listed on your FAFSA form and that have accepted you for admission will use the information you provided and your Student Aid Index (or SAI) to determine what financial aid you may be eligible to receive. Each school’s financial aid office will prepare your financial aid package and send out your aid offer. If you’re beginning school in the fall, many schools will send their aid offers the spring before. When you receive your aid offers, make sure you review them carefully, and remember that aid offers will vary by school. However, even if your aid offers look different, they will all include the same important information, including a deadline that you’ll need to respond by. Each aid offer will include the cost of attendance at the school. Cost of attendance includes expected costs such as tuition and fees, housing and food, and personal expenses; and for some schools, it may include the cost of equipment, books, and supplies. Make sure you research to understand what each school includes in their calculation. Each aid offer will also list the types and amounts of financial aid you're being offered. Types of aid in your offer can include grants, scholarships, work-study funds, and student loans. If you have questions about the financial aid in your aid offer, you can contact the school's financial aid office. When reviewing your aid offers, you should not only compare the different amounts of financial aid each school is offering you, but you should also compare the net costs listed on the aid offers. Net cost is the cost of attendance minus the amount of grants and scholarships you’ve been awarded. It is the amount you will have to pay out of pocket, so comparing net costs can help you determine which school is most affordable for you. If you’re ready to accept the financial aid in your aid offer, keep in mind that you can decide which aid you do and don’t want to accept. You should accept free money, such as grants and scholarships, first since these funds do not need to be repaid. Earned money, such as Federal Work-Study funds, should be accepted next. The Federal Work-Study Program provides part-time jobs for students to earn money to help pay education expenses. Student loans, which will need to be repaid with interest, should be the last type of financial aid that you accept. Always compare student loan terms and make sure you understand the amount of debt you’ll be taking on. Your aid offers will let you know if any additional information or documentation is needed from you. To accept part or all of your financial aid offer, follow the next steps explained on the aid offer by the listed deadline. And remember, if you have any questions, make sure you contact the school’s financial aid office. Once you enroll in your chosen school, the school will disburse (or pay out) your financial aid. Each school has its own disbursement schedule. For more information about the FAFSA form and the financial aid process, visit StudentAid.gov.