College today is expensive and planning is key. There are 6 things to think about in regard to paying for college:
1. Apply for Scholarships and Grants. FastWeb (www.fastweb.com) is the biggest and best scholarship search site on the web. You do have to register, but it is free.
2. Summer Enrollment. Students who take classes during the summer (sometimes at their local junior college) can help ensure they’ll graduate on time keeping costs down.
3. Take a full load of classes each semester. It can often be difficult to graduate on time as many programs are quite impacted. A student who takes a full load of classes each semester will have the best chance of graduating on time and not having to pay for that 5th+ year of college.
4. Financial Aid. More than 78% of college students today receive some sort of financial aid either in the form of grants or loans. A great place to start is www.finaid.org. The form that is required for almost all financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and can be found at https://fafsa.ed.gov.
5. Work Study. Most students are eligible for work study and can earn money towards their tuition by answering phones, clerical work, tutoring other students, or a myriad of other jobs for just a few hours per week.
6. Beware of Scams. As in all things, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. For more information on scholarship scams, read this.
Additional Resources:
College Raptor - Estimate what college will cost your family.
CSS Profile - The online first step of the financial aid form required by many selective colleges.
Sallie Mae - Information on student loans and financing a college education.
1. Apply for Scholarships and Grants. FastWeb (www.fastweb.com) is the biggest and best scholarship search site on the web. You do have to register, but it is free.
2. Summer Enrollment. Students who take classes during the summer (sometimes at their local junior college) can help ensure they’ll graduate on time keeping costs down.
3. Take a full load of classes each semester. It can often be difficult to graduate on time as many programs are quite impacted. A student who takes a full load of classes each semester will have the best chance of graduating on time and not having to pay for that 5th+ year of college.
4. Financial Aid. More than 78% of college students today receive some sort of financial aid either in the form of grants or loans. A great place to start is www.finaid.org. The form that is required for almost all financial aid is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and can be found at https://fafsa.ed.gov.
5. Work Study. Most students are eligible for work study and can earn money towards their tuition by answering phones, clerical work, tutoring other students, or a myriad of other jobs for just a few hours per week.
6. Beware of Scams. As in all things, if it's too good to be true, it probably is. For more information on scholarship scams, read this.
Additional Resources:
College Raptor - Estimate what college will cost your family.
CSS Profile - The online first step of the financial aid form required by many selective colleges.
Sallie Mae - Information on student loans and financing a college education.