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Types of Financial Aid

There are three kinds of financial aid:

  • Gift Aid is money you don’t have to pay back. Most grants and scholarships are gift aid.
  • Work Aid refers to money you have to work for to earn as a paycheck. This type of aid is usually referred to as work study, or student employment.
  • Loans is money you have to pay back.
College financial aid comes from four sources:
  • The United States government (federal aid)
  • The State of Tennessee (state aid)
  • Columbia State Community College (institutional aid)
  • Outside donors (private aid)

The following links provide descriptions of and requirements for many of the different grants, scholarships, loans and work study opportunities available for students at Columbia State Community College.