Teachers and counselors encourage many of their students to search the internet and apply for as many scholarships as possible. Teachers and counselors push students to get scholarships — as many as they can. This can be helpful for some students, but it’s usually not the most efficient way to reduce your cost of college. …
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College Myth: College Isn’t Worth the Price
Accounting for inflation, the annual cost of college has more than doubled since 1980. With the average cost of attendance at private colleges now at $42,419, it’s no wonder people question the investment value and think college isn’t worth the price. Not only is the cost of college rising, many students are forced to take …
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Where Does Financial Aid Come From?
Once you hit send on those financial aid applications, what happens next? Money doesn’t suddenly fall onto your doorstep, so where does it come from? In being a good consumer, it is good to know this information. Where do financial aid dollars come from? There are 4 primary sources of financial aid: Federal Government State Government …
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Guide to College Financial Aid
The financial aid equation You can run but you cannot hide. It’s time to face the finances. Before you get into the details of how and when to apply, it’s important to have some basic understanding of how the system works. I promise that it’s not as gruesome as you fear. In fact, the underlying principle …
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Paying for College: Grants, Scholarships and Loans
Paying for college You need to understand the difference between sticker and net price before understanding how paying for college works. The amount left after you factor in merit and talent scholarships for the college, need-based aid from the college, and any federal grants for which the student may qualify is your net price. It …
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Applying for Financial Aid: Completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile
You’ve no doubt heard horror stories about how difficult the process of applying for financial aid can be, especially with FAFSA and CSS. Applying for college financial aid certainly won’t be the most fun you’ve ever had. However, the process can be much more manageable by breaking it down into finite steps. EVERY college will …
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Financial Aid Forms: FAFSA and CSS Profile Overview
So, in the alphabet soup of college financial aid, you (hopefully) learned that the grand-daddy of financial aid acronyms is the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Every school uses the FAFSA in determining and awarding financial assistance for college. Through the personal and financial information provided on the FAFSA, the federal government …
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Why Do Private Colleges Appear to be So Much More Expensive than State Colleges?
While you’re looking for colleges, of course you’re also looking at the cost. After all, you want to make sure you can afford attending the school. The average sticker price for an in-state resident at a public college was $18,391 in 2012. That’s almost $12,000 less than the average sticker price for private colleges. What …
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How Do Students Afford Colleges Like Harvard or Stanford?
How Do Students Afford Colleges That Are Very Expensive? – College Raptor Q&A For the 2014-15 school year, the published costs of attendance at Harvard and Stanford are approximately $65,000 and $62,000, respectively. These numbers can easily be discouraging for those who want to afford colleges, especially for students from low-income families. Even students who …
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Can I Get Financial Aid?
Over 80 percent of college students met some financial aid eligibility criteria and received financial assistance during the 2011-2012 school year. This means there is a good chance you can get financial aid. You may think that the only way to get financial aid is to be extremely smart or a stand-out athlete. But most …
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