How To Come Up With Funds For College

In a world where healthcare and unemployment seem to top the list of Americans’ concerns, the rising cost of attending college isn’t far behind. But don’t let a shaky economy stand in the way of your dreams for your future. Instead, get smart when it comes to planning and don’t leave any stone unturned when it comes to looking for help. Here’s how:

1. Look at the big picture. There’s only one way to know the reality of what you’re dealing with and the best place to start is the internet. Take your list of public and private colleges and do a search on their costs for tuition, room and board. Also available online are financial aid calculators for a good idea of what you can (or cannot) expect in terms of help.

2. Keep your search broad. Every college and university has its own amount of scholarship endowments and financial aid available. If you limit yourself to just one or two favorites, you could miss out on another school that can help you out more. See what’s out there.

3. Don’t let the term “financial aid” confuse you. Fill out the forms even if you think your parents make too much money. As your guidance counselor for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and see how you fare. This is the best place to start because it is fairly standard no matter which schools you apply to.

4. Loans are still available. Don’t let the fact that there’s a nationwide credit crunch prevent you from applying for a student loan. The rates are better for you than they would be for your parents. Make sure that any loan that your family considers has a fair interest rate and no hidden terms.

What’s missing in this equation? A job. Many students work their way through college, or even take a year off before starting to pad their bank accounts. Or, you could consider attending a community college for the first year and saving money by living at home. Between loans, scholarships, financial aid, savings and good old ingenuity you can piece together a financial plan that will get you through college. Get creative and you will indeed get ahead.

Mary Greene counsels students on choosing online colleges and online universities meeting their individual needs.

categories: Money for college,college funds,scholarships,financial aid,college,university,higher education