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Showing results for financial aid. Search instead for financial data.
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.

The report urged Yale to expand tuition-free eligibility and financial aid for graduate students as well as scrutinize curriculum diversity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

Across income levels, four years of college comes at a tremendous expense relative to most families’ earnings, even after factoring in financial aid.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 9, 2026

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

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

“I couldn’t get any financial aid either,” Mark went on.

From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

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.