Other Resources

Financial Aid Related Websites:
The following quality websites are provided to help in your search for Outside Scholarships or to learn more about other financial aid topics.

Scholarships

Search Engines:

• Careers and Colleges: www.careersandcolleges.com
• Fast Web: www.fastweb.com
• MACH 25: www.collegenet.com/mach25
• Peterson’s College Quest: www.collegequest.com
• Scholarship Resource Network Express: www.srnexpress.com
• Broke Scholar: www.brokescholar.com
• FinAid: The SmartStudent Guide to Financial Aid: www.finaid.org
• CollegeBoard: collegeboard.com/splash
• SuperCollege: supercollege.com
• Scholarships.com: www.scholarships.com
• ScholarshipExperts.com: www.scholarshipexperts.com/?sourceid=il_aurora
• NextStudent: www.nextstudentloans.com/sse1

Online Scholarship Applications or Information:

• Scholarship Help: www.scholarshiphelp.org
• Associated Colleges of Illinois (ACI) Scholarships: www.acifund.org/scholarships
• Datatel Scholars Foundation: www.datatel.com/global/scholarships
• Jesús Guadalupe Foundation: www.jesusguadalupefund.org
• Hispanic College Fund, Inc.: www.hispanicfund.org
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund: www.hsf.net
• Hispanic Scholarship Fund Institute: www.hsfi.org
• Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute: www.chci.org
  
• U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Education Service: www.gibill.va.gov
• The Elie Wiesel Foundation for Humanity: www.eliewieselfoundation.org
• Chela Education Financing Scholarship Programs:  www.chelastudentloans.org/Scholarships/Scholarships.asp
• The Sallie Mae Fund: www.thesalliemaefund.org
• Illinois Department of Public Health, Center for Rural Health: Nursing Education Scholarship Program Application: http://app.idph.state.il.us/RuralHealth/nesp

Aurora University's Preferred Lenders

• Bank of America (Lender Code: 831495), Phone: 800-344-8382, Fax: 904-312-6314
• Citibank (Lender Code: 826878), Phone: 800-967-2400, Fax: 800-967-8800
• Wachovia (Lender Code: 830005), Phone: 877-689-0763, Fax: 866-461-0055
• Wells Fargo (Lender Code: 807176), Phone: 800-658-3567, Fax: 800-456-0561

• Don't know which lender to choose for your Stafford or PLUS loans? 
  View the Preferred Lender Comparison Chart of Borrower Benefits for a summary of our preferred lender benefits.

Government Agencies and Private Companies:

• U.S. Department of Education: www.ed.gov
• Federal Student Aid: www.studentaid.ed.gov
• Illinois Student Assistance Commission (ISAC): www.collegezone.com
• Mapping Your Future: www.mappingyourfuture.org
• University Accounting Service (UAS) for Perkins borrowers: www.uaservice.com
  • For Perkins Exit Interviews: www.uasexit.com
• Selectice Service System: www.sss.gov

Loan Databases:

• National Student Clearinghouse: www.studentclearinghouse.com/students/default.htm
• National Student Loan Data System: www.nslds.ed.gov
• ELM Resources: www.elmresources.com

Debt Counseling:

• National Foundation for Credit Counseling: www.nfcc.org
• CBM Credit Education Foundation, Inc.: www.cbmfoundation.org

Financial Aid Guides and Regulations:

• Bright Start 529 Savings Plan: www.brightstartsavings.com
• The Investor's Clearinghouse: Saving for College: 529s and more: www.investoreducation.org/529sandmore.cfm
• Guide to Saving for College - 529s and Financial Aid: www.savingforcollege.com
• Loan Cancellation/Forgiveness/Discharge: www.mapping-your-future.org/paying/loanForgiveness.htm
• Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid – English/Spanish http://studentaid.ed.gov/students/publications/student_guide/index.html

Tax Breaks:

Lifetime Learning Tax Credit
Up to $2000 per family each year may be claimed against federal income taxes for qualified tuition and fees (not room and board and other expenses). Students must be enrolled in at least one course of undergraduate or graduate study.

For more information on the Lifetime Learning Credit and other tax laws pertaining to education, please contact your tax preparer or visit the Internal Revenue Service website at www.irs.gov (See Publication 970: Tax Benefits for Education).