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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

But she didn’t know how to apply for financial aid, and neither did her parents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 21, 2026

They have found no assistance from the state or from Hezbollah, which in previous wars provided financial aid and housing but emerged weakened in the last conflict.

From Barron's • Mar. 6, 2026

In the release, Kari DiFonzo, Yale’s director of undergraduate financial aid, said the new policy aims to make things clearer to prospective students and their families about the assistance they will be offered.

From MarketWatch • Jan. 29, 2026

Lyndon Johnson appealed to North Vietnam, offering massive financial aid in exchange for leaving South Vietnam alone.

From "Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War" by Steve Sheinkin

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.