ABSTRACT
Financial aid is monetary assistance that covers educational expenses, such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, and even room and board. Grants are the most popular form of financial aid, one that many students call “free money” because they’ve heard that you don’t have to pay them back but please note that’s not entirely true. Federal grant money comes from US tax dollars, which essentially means that taxpayers are paying you to be a student. Before receiving any money, you’ll sign an agreement certifying that you will use federal student aid only for educational purposes. To be properly “accredited,” a college or university meets the standards of the Council on Higher Education Accreditation or the US Department of Education. Degree or diploma mills are organizations that award non-accredited degrees or diplomas, meaning their classes are not officially recognized by the proper accreditation agencies.
