Home > Articles > College Basics > Education Resources: College Education Financing
RegisterSign In

Education Resources: College Education Financing

  • 2
  • 0
  • 3
  • 0
May 9, 2012 Eve Hullett, Distance-Education.org Columnist | 0 Comments

You’re a High School Senior that is preparing to graduate. It’s an exciting time where you and your friends have spent the last dozen years together sharing good times and bad times. It’s a time to enjoy the final days of being “a kid” and start preparing for the “real world”. For many graduating seniors, their High School graduation is an end of one stage of their educational life, but also is the beginning of the next stage.

The next stage for many young men and women is the start of a college education. Seniors are faced with a wide variety of choices when it comes to their post-secondary education. Students have to ask themselves questions such as do they want to go to college locally or out-of-town, are they living on campus or commuting, are they looking at a two-year or four-year college, what career path are they contemplating and whether the college is a private or state-run institution. All of these questions are important and can have an impact on the education path that is selected.

However, one of the biggest factors in making some of the above mentioned decisions is cost. There is a tremendous difference between an education at a state run school and a private school, as well as the difference between a two and four-year college. All of these factors must be considered when selecting a college. Because paying for a college education can be one of the biggest expenses that parents and college students face. With the price of a four-year education at a private school, it is more than some people paid to purchase their home.

To help students and parents learn about options to pay for college, we have assembled a number of resources for you to look over. Feel free to check out the information, and hopefully you will make the informed decision when it is time to pay for a college education.

Scholarships

  • Scholarship Information – Useful page providing a database of available scholarships as well as general information about college.
  • Scholarship Searches – Helpful page which provides information and a searchable source of scholarship information.
  • Scholarships – Informative site with information on what scholarships are and how you can attempt to receive one.
  • Scholarships for Minorities – Page providing general information on scholarship opportunities for minorities.
  • Minority Scholarships – Information on a variety of areas which can be explored to assist minority students in financing an education.

Student Loan Information

  • Federal Direct Loans – Information on the Federal Direct Loan program and how to apply.
  • Federal Student Aid – Informative site with information on financing help available for students.
  • Student Loans – Resourceful site with information on Federal Student Loan programs which are available.
  • Private Student Loans – Article which provides information and a warning for students that seek private loans.

College Savings Plans

  • 529 Plans – An introductory page which provides information on college savings programs that exist.
  • 529 Plans Q&A – Information from the IRS in the form of questions and answers about various parts of the 529 savings plan.
  • College Savings Plans – Resourceful page with information on different plans that are available in different states.
  • Saving for College – Useful site with information on various ways to save for a college education.
  • Saving for the Future – Helpful page with information on the benefits for starting early to save for college.

Military

Financial Aid

  • Financial Aid Overview – Information covering many aspects of financing a college education.
  • FAFSA – Online resource with information on financial aid options available.
  • Student Aid on the Web – Federal resource with information on aid available for students.
  • Financial Aid – Informative page with a great deal of helpful information on financial aid options available.
  • Student Loans – Helpful page with information on how student loans fit into the financial aid picture.

Calculators

  • Financial Aid Calculators – Informative page with a nice collection of available calculators on savings, financial aid and other topics.
  • Aid Calculators – Collection of financial aid calculators on a number of topics for financial aid for college students.
  • Paying For College – Resourceful site with a number of calculator and tools on how to pay for college.
  • Estimate Calculator – Helpful page which provides an estimate on financial aid for students.

Other Resources

Sources

     

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Eve Hullett

With years of experience in the field of non-profit education, Eve has done it all. From teaching to tutoring, Eve has worked with hundreds of students to help them succeed in their pursuit of a college education. Today, when Eve is not enjoying a day of hiking, she spends her time writing articles on the strategies and methods of being a good student and fulfilling your goals for a college education.

Twitter | Facebook | Google+
blog comments powered by Disqus

Join the Conversation

There are 0 comments

Subscribe by email Subscribe by RSS

Comments:

More About College Basics