FINANCIAL AID

How to Work Effectively with a College's Financial Aid Officer

By Howard Freedman

Financial aid officers and administrators are some of the most valuable and sometimes overlooked resources to help students and their families bridge the gap between college acceptance and how to pay for it.

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FINANCIAL AID TAKES ON MANY FORMS

By Howard Freeman

Many students and families associate financial aid with the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Financial Assistance). Though they may feel relieved once the FAFSA is initially completed, they should realize that this is only the beginning, not the end, of a lengthy financial aid process.

The most critical aspect of the financial aid process is to be in control. This means understanding the financial aid requirements and deadlines for each college. The first step is to create a calendar or spreadsheet with the name of the college and the critical application and financial aid priority filing dates. This is the start of the roadmap that will relieve stress and provide an ongoing status of how things stand. Be sure to include the key dates due and space for when they were completed.

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MORE BANG FOR THE BUCK

By Veronica Toney

Picking the right college or university is not as easy as simply choosing an institution. With tuition rates, school fees and room and board costs rising 38 percent in the last decade, money is playing a large role in the college-decision process. This is why many college guides, such as U.S. News and World Report, The Princeton Review and Kiplinger’s Personal Finance, conduct Best Value surveys.

Best Value indicates schools that blend academics with affordable price tags. The Princeton Review uses three ratings–academic, financial aid and tuition GPA–to calculate a school’s value. Researchers find the academic rating by combining the students’ opinions about their education with admissions and other statistics reported by each school. The admissions statistics tell future students how difficult it is to get into each school.

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TUITION SUPPORT PROGRAMS

Contributed by todaysmilitary.com

Tuition Support is one of the many ways that the military can help with the rising cost of further education. There are four main initiatives that make up Tuition Support Programs: Tuition Assistance, Montgomery G.I. Bill, College Fund programs and Loan Repayment programs.

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UNDERSTANDING CREDIT

Presented by AFC and EFSI – Lending for Learning™

What goes through your mind when a friend asks you to loan them $50? Do you consider if your friend is responsible and will pay you back? Do you evaluate how he or she handles his or her own personal finances? While you may end up loaning your friend $50, with the faith and understanding that you will get it back, a bank is less likely to lend someone money unless it can verify that the potential borrower is able to pay back the loan. Banks do not loan money on faith alone.

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THE BEST PLACES TO FIND FREE CASH FOR COLLEGE

By Gen and Kelly Tanabe

You might think that once you’re accepted to a college, you’re done. But there is one last hurdle to face—how will you and your family pay for it? Fortunately, there is help. While many students borrow money to pay for college and many parents have savings built up, there is actually free money you can use to pay for your education. Two of the best sources of free money for college are grants and scholarships. Here are details on how to tap into these two sources of aid.

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WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT GETTING INTO COLLEGE

By Gen and Kelly Tanabe

Applying to college may seem daunting. There are forms to complete, essays to write and maybe even interviews with admission officers. Without knowing what to expect, the whole process can be overwhelming. The first step to conquering college admissions is to know what it’s made of. To help, here are the major parts of the college applications and some tips to make sure you’re successful.

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12 STEPS TO FINANCIAL AID

By Bridget Gramling, Associate Dean of Admission William Jewell College

A college education can be expensive these days, especially if a family doesn’t take advantage of all the resources available to help with this investment. Since very few families can write a check for the total cost, financial aid can determine whether or not the family can afford the student’s first- choice college.

Unfortunately, many see the process of applying for financial aid as complicated or overwhelming and either give up in frustration or choose the path of least resistance. The truth is that with a small investment of time and a little perseverance, families can successfully negotiate the process and find resources to make the college of choice affordable.

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FAFSA APPLICATIONS

Preparing Your FAFSA Application

There is a lot you need to know and do before you begin the FAFSA application process. The first step in your FAFSA application procedure is to resolve all your paperwork issues for your college financial aid application. This involves finding all the documents you need and getting them in order—bank statements, investment records, income tax returns, driver’s license and your social security number are essential. Most importantly, even if you think you don’t qualify, you should submit your college financial aid application every year...

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LOANS

The Low Down On Consolidation Loans

By Mark Brenner, Vice Chairman and Executive Officer, College Loan Corporation

With your final semester of high school ahead of you, it might seem like it's too early to start thinking about college graduation. But it pays to think about one aspect of commencement as early as possible: student loans, and repaying them.

It's a fact: getting a degree is more expensive than ever. Last year, average undergraduate tuition at a four-year public university jumped 10.5 percent, pushing the average price of attendance to $11,354 per year. Private college undergraduate tuition now stands at an average of $30,295, according to the College Board...

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