How to Increase Your Chances of Winning College Scholarships

According to US News & World Report, half of all college students are expected to receive scholarships – AKA "FREE MONEY" – to help pay for college in 2011-2012. Now, the story in US News made it seem like there was a shortage of scholarships since it’s "only" 50%. That may well be true. But [...]

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How Much Is Your College Degree Really Worth?

We’ve all read the statistics that a college graduate earns $1 million more over their lifetime than a non-college grad. That’s a pretty compelling reason to go to college, isn’t it? But is it accurate? Or does it depend on what you study? And therefore, what kind of career you will pursue when you graduate? [...]

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Start the Process of Getting Financial Aid

Applying for aid is just the first step in a process. One in three applicants will be selected for a process called verification. If your application is selected, you will need to provide the financial aid office with tax forms and other documents. Provide the verification documents as soon as possible. Most financial aid offices [...]

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How to Avoid Defaulting On Student Loan Payments

Are you a graduating senior? Congratulations! You are about to enter the "real world." That’s the good news. The bad news is the economy is still unstable – and the class of 2011 is graduating with a higher student loan burden than any class in history. Not only is harder than ever to find a [...]

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What does your Financial Aid Award Letter Really Mean?

For high school seniors, spring is a nerve-racking season to walk to your mailbox! First, there is the much anticipated acceptance letter.  But even more important, there is your financial aid award letter. If you completed the FAFSA and applied for financial aid for the 2011-2012 year, you should be getting your financial aid award [...]

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Saving for College: Top 5 Questions (and Answers)

Last week, we talked about ways to reduce your dependency on student loans. One of the single best ways to avoid costly loans is to plan ahead with a college savings plan. Known as a 529 Plan – after the federal tax code that allows you to save money on your taxes when you invest [...]

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How to Reduce Your Student Loan Burden

Conventional wisdom has always held that student loan debt is "good debt". Meaning it is debt taken out for a long-term investment – like a mortgage on your home, which will pay dividends in the future. What kind of dividends? Well, we know, for example, that college graduates make an average of one million dollars more [...]

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Financial Aid Programs Affected By Budget Woes

The U.S. Congress is struggling to agree on the budget and whatever state you live in is struggling too. One of the big problems is that much of the fluff has already been cut and there are not a lot of discretionary areas to reduce spending. Education is one of the targets. How does that [...]

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