Federal student aid comes from the federal government--specifically, the U.S. Department of Education. It is money that helps a student pay for higher education expenses (i.e., college, career school, or graduate school expenses). Federal student aid covers such expenses as tuition and fees, room and board, books and supplies, and transportation. Aid also can help pay for a computer and for dependent care. There are three main categories of federal student aid: grants, work-study, and loans. Check with the specific school to find out which programs they participates in. The following information is presented in this document: (1) What is federal student aid?; (2) Who gets federal student aid?; (3) How do you apply for federal student aid?; and (4) A chart with Federal Student Aid Programs in 2014-15. [For the 2013-14 edition of this report, see ED542096.]