How I Paid for College: Thanks, Uncle Sam.

Melissa Ludwig of the San Antonio Express-News wrote an article that I picked up today about Pell Grants and an increase in enrollment across Texas colleges and universities, thanks to year-round Pell Grants available to students.

I wanted to take this opportunity to say that I owe my college education to FAFSA (Free Application For Student Aid) a la the Federal Government. I'm not really sure when or how, but I was able to learn the process for applying for financial aid through the government. Private loans always scared me, so I stuck to Uncle Sam and was able to coast through my first two years of college through the combination of a four-year Army scholarship and the Texas Grant and few smaller scholarships from my high school.

I personally was never eligible for the Pell Grant because I was considered a dependent and my dad's income didn't qualify for me to receive Pell funds. However, I am certain with the economic downturn we've seen in the last few years that many people are more eligible to receive this grant, which is not a loan - it's a financial "gift" from the government - translation: you do not have to pay this money back.

If you or anyone you know is interested in learning how to apply for Financial Aid through the Federal Government, I would be very happy to help you should you need advice. FAFSA allows you to basically tell the government what you (or your family) earn every year, then they calculate that somehow into an algorithm and next thing you know: you're eligible for loans, grants or work studies (sometimes all three).

I have to applaud FAFSA - since day one, they have always had an easy-to-understand website that walks you through the process in 3 phases. Visit http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/ and follow the three steps in that order and you'll get there!