Tag Archives: paying for college

college guidance, college jobs, Student debt

Jobs for College Students

Many college students will need to work in order to help pay their way through college. As their parents, this is something you should definitely encourage as it will teach them the value of hard work and the importance of paying for one’s way through life.

There are lots of jobs that college students can take on from working fast food to helping out in the college library, and you and your kids have probably already considered them, but there are also some lesser-known options that might be more rewarding in terms of job satisfaction and financial remuneration, so let’s take a look at a few of them right now.

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college costs, college guidance, college planning, financial aid

How to Pay Less for College

pay less for college

If you’re a parent of a college-bound teen, you know the stress this adds to your family. If you are like most parents, the money you saved for college has not kept up with the increase in tuition. If your son or daughter isn’t one of the ones who snag a full ride, you are going to be looking for ways to cut those college costs.

Here are just a few tips that might help you pay less for college:

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financial aid, financial planning, scholarships

STEM Scholarships

STEM scholarships

STEM careers have become a national priority and students who aspire to careers in science, technology, engineering, and math will be happy to know that STEM scholarships abound.

Often, when you apply for scholarships in a specific area of interest, the competition is much less than if you apply for national scholarships with thousands of applicants. The fact there are fewer applicants improves your odds of being offered the scholarship.

STEM scholarships may be plentiful but how do you find them?

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admissions, college planning, college prep, FAFSA, financial aid, financial planning

Do You Understand the EFC?

EFC

I will never forget the moment we received our Student Aid Report and I saw the EFC (Expected Family Contribution) on the right-hand corner. I was in shock as most parents are. How could the powers that be believe we could afford to pay that amount for college? It was a mystery to me how they came up with that number, as it is to most of you.

The EFC determines how much financial aid the colleges will award to your student. You can’t receive any federal or institutional aid without getting an EFC when you complete the FAFSA. We are stuck with it and will probably never truly understand how they use to determine how much money your family can afford to pay.

If you are going to need financial aid for college (and who doesn’t?), you will need to understand the EFC.

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college costs, college guidance, college majors, college planning

How to Find the Best College Bargains

college bargains

In today’s world, we are all looking for bargains. How much can I save on this purchase? Is there a coupon for that item? The college decision process should be no different. You never want to pay full sticker price on a car, and you shouldn’t pay full sticker price for the college education. Here are just a few money saving tips on how to find the best college bargains.

Use online information to find the most generous colleges.

You can start your search by looking at the colleges who are generous with their financial aid by meeting the highest percentage of financial need. How do you find those colleges? It’s simpler than you might think. You can research them at the College Board’s site: Big Future. You need to follow the box at the bottom of the page that says “Find Colleges” and click the search button.

For a step-by-step guide, you can read The College Solutions Blog with photos of each step and how to use the tool.

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college costs, college planning, Guest Posts

5 Changes Parents Should Make When Paying for College

paying for college

Your children are going to college. You may think it will be easy because you’ve been saving for it. But seeing the college fee structure, you’ll know it will not be easy. Coming out of the stress-induced fog might help you manage the costs. 

Here are five things you can do to help you on this journey of paying for college:

Understand your financial situation

Now that your child is off to college, as parents, you’re now left with taking care of the expenses like tuition, housing, and school supplies. Sitting down and looking into your finances is step one for parents. The next step is to make a budget, reevaluate your finances, and look into every savings account because the college costs are now added to your other expenses. 

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college costs, college planning, financial aid, financial planning

10 Ways to Pay for College Without Incurring Debt

pay for college

Debt from college tuition has skyrocketed over the last several years. Parents and students are weighing their ROI (return on investment) before making their college choices. As college costs have shot up, so has student debt. How can you pay for college without incurring debt?

According to the latest Quarterly Report on Household Debt and Credit, outstanding student loan debt stood at $1.58 trillion in the fourth quarter of 2021, an $8 billion decline from the third quarter. About 5 percent of aggregate student debt was 90+ days delinquent or in default in the fourth quarter; the lower level of student debt delinquency reflects a Department of Education decision to report current status on loans eligible for CARES Act forbearances. 

That’s the bad news. But if you’re a savvy consumer and research the costs before signing on the dotted line, you should be able to go to college without incurring debt. Zac Bissonnette, author of DebtFree U, is proof that it can be done. He graduated from college with zero debt.

Believe it or not, you may be able to graduate without debt if you use these 10 ways to pay for college:

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scholarships, social networks

10 Instagram Accounts For Scholarships

instagram

Looking for scholarships? There’s the usual scholarship search sites and scholarship books. You can find them at your student’s counselor’s office and locally. But what about social media–specifically Instagram? It’s a great place to find out about current and future scholarship opportunities.

Sometimes there are scholarships posted on these accounts that you might not easily find in a typical search. They post lesser known scholarships, often with fewer applicants. This increases your student’s chances of winning!

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admissions, college planning, financial aid, financial planning

Deep Diving for College Bargains

COLLEGE BARGAINS

Not all colleges are created equal. But are you looking for the college bargains?

Community college. State University. Private liberal arts college. Trade or technical college. Top-tiered business college. Ivy League college. Not all colleges are created equal.

If that’s the case, what makes a good college? Some might think it’s a #1 rated NCAA football team, or a college with an Ivy League designation, or even a school that is highly selective. A good college (as in good fit) meets the following three criteria: academic, social, and financial. The college that meets or excels in all three should be the college your student chooses. Even the best college (based on reputation) isn’t a good college if the student neglects the opportunities he is given while attending.

In terms of financial fit, does the college fit into your family’s college budget?

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college planning, financial planning

Working During College

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working during college

Studies have shown that students who spent time working during college actually do better in the classroom. Students who work must learn how to structure and manage their time to work around class assignments. This translates into not delaying assignments and scheduling time to study for exams. However, many experts suggest that freshmen students wait until the second semester to take on the added responsibility of a job. This allows them time to ascertain their academic strengths and decide whether or not a job would detract from their study time.

When college students do decide to work, there are three options available to them: on-campus jobs, off-campus jobs and internships. Each of these job opportunities has its own set of advantages.

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