Most parents hope to fund their student's college education through scholarships or financial aid. The process can be both exhilarating and petrifying! Some diligent research can go a long way. Listed below are some basic sources of information to get you started!

WARNING!! Be careful when searching for information on student financial assistance. Make certain the information and offers are legitimate. Just like it's unwise to self-diagnose using online medical information, it's also unwise to rely solely on the internet for financial aid and scholarship help. Most folks see their doctor for professional medical diagnosis and treatment. Word to the wise- check out the web sites but also consult with your personal counselor!

Fast Aide Free Scholarship Search - The World's largest and oldest private sector scholarship database--. 20 years of scholarship research, constantly updated. http://www.fastaid.com

Finaid - Described as a "comprehensive free resource for student financial aid information on the Web. Free scholarship search, financial aid calculators, glossary, and bibliography." http://www.finaid.org

FreSch! has a database of over 5,000 organizations and foundations that offer scholarships, representing approximately 450,000 awards. http://www.freschinfo.com

The Student Guide is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans, and work-study are the three major forms of aid available through the Department's Federal Student Aid office. http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/2004_2005/english/index.htm

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) Online http://www.fafsa.ed.gov

FastWeb Free scholarship and college searches plus financial aid tools. http://fastweb.monster.com

CollegeView's Financial Aid Office - Information on grants, loans and scholarships. http://www.collegeview.com

Scholarship Resource Network Express contains a database of over 8,000 programs with a distribution level of over 150,000 awards for undergraduate and postgraduate students worth a total of more than $35 million http://www.srnexpress.com/index.cfm

College Board's Scholarship Search! http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp?cleanup=yes

AllScholar.com is a free scholarship search resource for students, parents, and educators. AllScholar's free scholarship search tool offers simple, concise, and easy scholarship searches. http://www.allscholar.com

Financial Aide SuperSite - A financial aid consulting service that helps parents complete the forms and maximize the students financial aid package. http://www.financialaidsupersite.com

CollegeNet Mach 25 - Free scholarship search that also helps students create letters to apply for scholarships. http://www.collegenet.com/mach25

GoCollege - Gain FREE access to over 800,000 individual awards - that's over $2.8 billion in scholarships. http://www.gocollege.com