This Student Aid Handbook presents suggestions for prospective applicants to consider when choosing a college or university which bet meets the candidate's needs and goals. The Handbook describes four areas to consider and related questions when researching a field of study or school: national accreditation or state authorizations, courses, costs, and placement assistance. It details state loan and grant programs such as the: Alaska Student Loan (ASL) Program, loans for full-time study, loans for half-time study, Alaska Family Education Loan (FEL) Program, Alaska Teacher Scholarship Loan Program, A. W. "Winn" Brindle Memorial Loan, WICHE Western Regional Graduate Program, Western Undergraduate Exchange (WUE) Program, and WAMI Medical Education Program. This handbook also discusses the details of federal financial aid programs such as the: Federal Pell Grant, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Federal Work Study, Federal Perkins Loan, Federal Stafford Student Loan, Federal PLUS Loan, and Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) Grant Programs. It concludes with a list of educational resources that provide services which improve access to postsecondary education and training opportunities. (Contains 17 resources.) (VWC)