By James Lonergan Senior Library Program Officer, IMLS The U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Federal Student Aid recently launched a new website called the Financial Aid Toolkit. Who is the Financial Aid Toolkit for? The toolkit is for
  • librarians;
  • staff or volunteers at community based organizations;
  • guidance counselors;
  • college access advisers; and
  • anyone who assists students through the process of learning about, receiving, and repaying financial aid for their higher education.
What information is in the Financial Aid Toolkit? The toolkit consolidates financial aid resources into a searchable online library, making it easy for users to quickly access the information they need to support their students. The searchable library provides resources covering the entire financial aid lifecycle from applying for financial aid to repaying loans and includes items such as
  • “financial aid night” materials and presentations,
  • brochures,
  • videos, and
  • sample tweets and Facebook posts.
  The toolkit also offers professional development information such as training opportunities and resources for self-instruction. Where can a student find other financial aid resources? Students should visit StudentAid.gov for financial aid information and can find a library of resources designed for them at StudentAid.gov/resources. How can library or museum professionals spread the word to colleagues about the toolkit? You can share information about the site by distributing the Financial Aid Toolkit fact sheet.