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Synonyms

financial aid

American  
[fi-nan-shuhl eyd, fahy-] / fɪˈnæn ʃəl ˈeɪd, faɪ- /

noun

  1. monetary support, as a loan or scholarship, that is used to pay for school, especially higher education.

    I don’t qualify for need-based financial aid, so I’ll have to hope I’m awarded a merit-based grant.

Etymology

Origin of financial aid

First recorded in 1770–80, for an earlier sense

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

If colleges do not submit the data, the government can fine them under the Higher Education Act of 1965, which details requirements for colleges that receive federal financial aid for students, such as Pell Grants.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

The good news is that after accounting for financial aid and adjusting for inflation, college costs have moderated in the last six years.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 1, 2026

Analysts say North Korea is receiving financial aid, military technology, food and energy supplies from Russia, helping Pyongyang reduce its reliance on its long-time backer China.

From Barron's • Mar. 25, 2026

The school is especially appealing to families who don’t qualify for need-based financial aid in the U.S., but still want a good deal.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 16, 2026

My financial aid package at Princeton required me to get a work-study job, and I ended up with a good one, getting hired as an assistant to the director of the TWC.

From "Becoming" by Michelle Obama

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.