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Colleges hand out money for two different reasons: because you earned it, or because you need it. Knowing which is which — and that you can go after both at once — is the difference between a scary sticker price and an affordable one. Here’s how the two work.
Merit-based aid
Earned by achievement
Need-based aid
Based on financial need
File the FAFSA no matter what
It’s the single gateway to all need-based aid — and many merit and state programs require it too. Families who assume they "make too much" and skip it are the ones who leave money on the table. It’s free and takes well under an hour.
Chase merit on purpose
Apply to schools where your stats are above their average (you become the student they want to attract with merit money), check each college’s automatic merit grid, and pursue outside scholarships. Merit is the lever you control most.
Compare offers by what’s actually free
A big "award" can be mostly loans. When two offers arrive, separate the gift aid (grants + scholarships you never repay) from the loans before deciding which school is truly cheaper for you.
Need is measured against a college’s cost — so a family that gets nothing at an in-state public can still qualify for thousands at a pricier private school. And the FAFSA unlocks far more than grants: work-study and low-cost federal loans too. Unless you file, you’ll never know. File first, judge later.
Go deeper: understand grants vs. loans (free money first), find Arizona merit scholarships, and run a Net Price Calculator.