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Showing results for financial aid. Search instead for financial-strain.
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:

The biggest reason: a 529 plan is a state-sponsored college tuition account, so your mother’s gift won’t count against her grandchildren when applying for financial aid.

From MarketWatch Sep. 10, 2026

I implore you to encourage her to keep her options open about applying in the United States, as there are more financial aid options.

From MarketWatch Aug. 31, 2026

She attended Princeton on 90% financial aid while working part-time jobs on campus like librarian, tutor and bartender.

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

She’d tried junior college, but couldn’t be bothered to do more than cash the financial aid check.

From "The 57 Bus" by Dashka Slater

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