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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.

See Examples For:

“Colleges in Canada generally do not offer financial aid to U.S. students,” Kantrowitz says.

From MarketWatch Aug. 31, 2026

A majority of domestic students at most schools receive some type of financial aid from the university.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 31, 2026

That means that for students who get some sort of financial aid, Syracuse costs thousands more than its competitors.

From The Wall Street Journal Aug. 30, 2026

"They're wanting to contribute to the community. They want to be independent of receiving financial aid and they're not able to do it - they're actually trapped in it, in some respects."

From BBC Aug. 21, 2026

The university has also increased financial aid to middle-income students.

From "Class Matters" by The New York Times

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