This simple, friendly, step-by-step guide explains how to get financial aid to help you pay for college. It also gives you the "financial aid picture" for each of more than 3,000 colleges, universities, and technical schools. Includes "Know the Lingo" guides to key financial aid terms; step-by-step guides to filling out the FAFSA and other forms; details about unique scholarships offered by colleges; lists of colleges that offer scholarships for artistic or musical talent, NCAA sports, ROTC, and academics; advice on working your way through college; and strategies for going "beyond the forms" to get the aid you really need.
Every year, more than 20 million students and parents file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), the gateway to federal, state and school financial aid. Families often worry about making costly mistakes, but this step-by-step guide provides expert advice and insights to: · Maximize eligibility for student aid · Avoid common errors · Complete the form quickly, easily and accurately Praise for Filing the FAFSA: I found Filing the FAFSA to be an up-to-the-minute, accessible and readable resource for those with a keen interest in the current federal application for student financial aid. –Nancy Coolidge, Office of the President, University of California Families need a guide that breaks down the application form into logical sections. Filing the FAFSA is an important tool in removing some of the mystery surrounding the financial aid process. –Verna Hazen, Assistant Vice President and Director, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships, Rochester Institute of Technology With the plethora of information on the subject of completing college financial applications, it’s reassuring to find a guide that students, parents and even guidance counselors can look to for useful and accurate information. –Carlos Adrian, Associate Director, Financial Aid Compliance, Office of Financial Aid and Scholarship Programs, Syracuse University As a long-time financial aid professional, I am always looking for helpful tools to assist families in understanding the sometimes overwhelming process of applying for student financial aid for college. Filing the FAFSA is a tool that successfully combines the presentation of detailed information with easy to follow flow charts and summary boxes to guide families through the application process. It is filled with helpful hints and is a valuable resource for families navigating the complicated world of financial aid. –Diane Stemper, Executive Director, Office of Enrollment Services, Student Financial Aid, Ohio State University
Describes the financial aid opportunities at more than three thousand two- and four-year colleges, accompanied by additional resources, a planning calendar, worksheets, itemized charts, and cost-saving tips.
Completely updated to cover critical new changes to FAFSA deadlines and college application procedures, this revised edition of Get It Together for College covers everything from how to look for colleges to what to take to the dorm. Checklists, timelines, and FAQs are presented in a practical, quick format that helps students relieve stress and take control of the process. Features: • complete junior-senior year calendar showing what to do and when to do it • tips on how to wisely use social media to research colleges • best ways to prepare for college admission tests, including the redesigned SAT • step-by-step walk-through of the new FAFSA financial aid form • how to put an art portfolio together, or prepare for a music audition • how to get recommendations • journal pages for campus visits and college fairs Students and parents recognize the College Board and its #1 college planning website, collegeboard.com, as providers of clear, easy-to-use tools for college planning. More than two million students visit collegeboard.com each month.
“The College Solution helps readers look beyond over-hyped admission rankings to discover schools that offer a quality education at affordable prices. Taking the guesswork out of saving and finding money for college, this is a practical and insightful must-have guide for every parent!” —Jaye J. Fenderson, Seventeen’s College Columnist and Author, Seventeen’s Guide to Getting into College “This book is a must read in an era of rising tuition and falling admission rates. O’Shaughnessy offers good advice with blessed clarity and brevity.” —Jay Mathews, Washington Post Education Writer and Columnist “I would recommend any parent of a college-bound student read The College Solution.” —Kal Chany, Author, The Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke “The College Solution goes beyond other guidebooks in providing an abundance of information about how to afford college, in addition to how to approach the selection process by putting the student first.” —Martha “Marty” O’Connell, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives “Lynn O’Shaughnessy always focuses on what’s in the consumer’s best interest, telling families how to save money and avoid making costly mistakes.” —Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org and Author, FastWeb College Gold “An antidote to the hype and hysteria about getting in and paying for college! O’Shaughnessy has produced an excellent overview that demystifies the college planning process for students and families.” —Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers For millions of families, the college planning experience has become extremely stressful. And, unless your child is an elite student in the academic top 1%, most books on the subject won’t help you. Now, however, there’s a college guide for everyone. In The College Solution, top personal finance journalist Lynn O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use roadmap to finding the right college program (not just the most hyped) and dramatically reducing the cost of college, too. Forget the rankings! Discover what really matters: the quality and value of the programs your child wants and deserves. O’Shaughnessy uncovers “industry secrets” on how colleges actually parcel out financial aid—and how even “average” students can maximize their share. Learn how to send your kids to expensive private schools for virtually the cost of an in-state public college...and how promising students can pay significantly less than the “sticker price” even at the best state universities. No other book offers this much practical guidance on choosing a college...and no other book will save you as much money! • Secrets your school’s guidance counselor doesn’t know yet The surprising ways colleges have changed how they do business • Get every dime of financial aid that’s out there for you Be a “fly on the wall” inside the college financial aid office • U.S. News & World Report: clueless about your child Beyond one-size-fits-all rankings: finding the right program for your teenager • The best bargains in higher education Overlooked academic choices that just might be perfect for you
Review every skill and question type needed for SAT success – now with eight total practice tests. The 2018 edition of The Official SAT Study Guide doubles the number of official SAT® practice tests to eight – all of them created by the test maker. As part of the College Board's commitment to transparency, all practice tests are available on the College Board's website, but The Official SAT Study Guide is the only place to find them in print along with over 250 pages of additional instruction, guidance, and test information. With updated guidance and practice problems that reflect the most recent information, this new edition takes the best-selling SAT guide and makes it even more relevant and useful. Be ready for the SAT with strategies and up-to-date information straight from the exam writers. The Official SAT Study Guide will help students get ready for the SAT with: • 8 official SAT practice tests, written in the exact same process and by the same team of authors as the actual exam • detailed descriptions of the math and evidenced based reading and writing sections • targeted practice questions for each SAT question type • guidance on the new optional essay, including practice essay questions with sample responses • seamless integration with Official SAT Practice on Khan Academy
The updated edition of the must-have resource for any student applying to college This thoroughly revised and updated edition of the bestselling book Admission Matters demystifies the college application process and offers practical advice for choosing the right school, writing an effective essay, navigating financial aid, and more. This handy resource will help any college-bound student whether they attend well-funded private schools or cash-strapped public schools. Filled with helpful suggestions, ideas, and advice, the new edition also includes tips for home-schooled students who are preparing to attend college. Helps all students who are applying to college understand the process and find the school that fits their needs Expanded information on testing, early decision/early action, applying as a home schooler, and tackling the dreaded college essay Up-to-date advice on financial aid in tough economic times – how it works and how to maximize your chances of getting aid Authors bring the multiple viewpoints of college admissions officer, high school counselor, and parent of college-bound students This book gives any college-bound student the information they need to make the application process run smoothly.
College can be expensive the average graduating college senior is nearly $30,000 in debt when he or she walks off campus. There is also more financial aid available than ever before, with more than $238 billion distributed in 2012-13. There are a lot of options out there, and if you are not sure how to find the right financial aid for you, this book is your answer. We provide you with information on over 2,200 programs that offer scholarships, internships, or loans to more than 1.7 million students each year. For example, the Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest awards $2,000 to the high school senior with the best duck call in the country. There s also the Van Valkenburg Memorial Scholarship, where you can win $1,000 if you re a descendant by birth or legal adoption of Lambert and Annetje Van Valkenburg. This book will also provide hundreds of innovative ways to cut college costs, including tips on how to earn college credit on an accelerated basis, how to calculate your college budget, how to make use of tuition prepayment plans, how to combine higher education and course-related employment, and how to buy supplies and textbooks for cheap. If you re looking to graduate debt-free, this book has you covered.
