Money for College
Higher education has never been higher priced so, where do you get money for college? It's not that difficult if you do a little financial research.
Off To a Running Start with Financial Aid for School
College Costs Money - Oh, You Knew That? How about Some School Financial Aid?
Arggg .. Paying for college can be a pain in the pocketbook!! A graduate student I know used to say that 50 percent of getting a college education is being able to jump through the hoops.
The Financial Aid Hoop
One of those hoops—that often seems as if it a circus hoop on fire—is the hoop of financial aid for school. But after we graduated and went on to teach, I made it a goal to help students at the community college where I taught and worked in the learning center to find financial aid for school after community college.
In my research, which I used for financial aid workshops, I found multiple methods, venues, and possibilities for finding and getting financial aid for the school of one’s dreams.
First, know yourself. What is
your major? Why this choice? What career do you
have in mind after finishing school? Why this job?
What kind of money for
college are you looking for?
Where to Begin with
Financial Aid for School
And what are you eligible for (what characteristics do you have that meet the criteria for financial aid for school, a grant or grants for study, or scholarships for specialty areas and skills)?
Some College Money Options - First Things First
School Financial Aid - Taxpayer-supported stipends based on need
Education Grants - Federal, state, and college gifts based on need
College Scholarships - College, corporate and private gifts based on academic status/excellence and standing
Next, ask (anyone and everyone). Then, look (everywhere).
Who to Ask for Financial Aid for School - Where to Look
1. Start with the college you plan to attend. If you are a transfer student at a community college, seeking financial aid for school elsewhere—at the university you will transfer to, etc.--start your search locally, at the college you are attending. Every campus has a financial aid office (or area) which offers financial aid applications, a scholarship bulletin board, and grant information.
2. Newspaper classifieds sections, backs of trade magazines (in your field), and the yellow pages (major corporations often offer financial aid for college).
3. Check other possibilities: ask your employer, the place where you volunteer, your Mom or Dad’s employer, organizations (Lion’s club, Elks, Eastern Star) and church(es).
4. Investigate corporations for possible financial aid benefits. Many give large scholarships. (For example, Coca-Cola gave thousands to one of the students at my college one year, and another big biz gave a Psych major $10,000. to transfer to a state university.)
5. Use a free scholarship search engine:
www.brokescholar.comi
www.scholarsite.comii
www.collegeboard.com
www.fastweb.com
www.srnexpress.com
www.uprise.info.orgiii
www.iefa.orgiv
www.iie.orgv
www.iccs.ciec.orgvi
www.internationalscholarships.comvii
www.rotary.org
www.forkningsradet.no
www.aisf.or.jp
www.istc.umn.edu
www.cies.orgviii
www.scholarships-bourses-ca.orgix
http://www.lib.msu.edu/harris23/grants/3undergr.htm
Applying for Financial Aid for School
1. Start early in your quest for college money. The process is arduous and time consuming, and the wait window is at times quite long, taking sometimes a whole semester to land the dough (which you initially come up with to pay for a semester and which is then given you as a reimbursement, in other words).
2. Read eligibility requirements carefully. Each organization/group/
individual maintains strict criteria.
3. Keep scholarship materials organized (in separate folders, for example).
4. Keep copies of EVERYTHING.
5. Do your homework: look at biographies, annual reports, grants list(s) of previous recipients (and, if possible, their bios and entry essays).
6. Learn what aid or school finance forms you need: For financial aid, for example, you need a number of forms which can be found at www.fafsa.ed.gov; for grants and scholarships, request a copy of the guidelines and the application. Call or email the sponsor if you have questions.
7. Follow instructions on all college money applications.
8. Proofread the financial aid material carefully.
9. Leave nothing blank.
10. Be legible in your writing.
11. Get all school financial aid application materials in early.
12. AVOID SCAMS. When doing the footwork/research for support, be mindful of any of the following:
- Anyone any site who/that asks for your credit card/bank numbers/social security number
- Anyone/site guaranteeing a scholarship
- Anyone who “selects” you as a “winner”
- Anyone who offers unsolicited free stuff
- Any “Foundation” without a name (Check out the source)
- Anyone who tells you you can’t get this info “anywhere else”
- Anyone who tells you they are “holding” a college scholarship for you and need money from you before proceeding
- Anyone who asks for any money
- Anyone who offers to do all the college financial aid work for you
As you see here, while I have done scads of work for you, you still have a lot of work to do to get that college money !!!!!
Using School Financial Aid Templates
Many of us use a template for college financial aid forms. If you do so, be sure that all the names, dates, etc. are changed accordingly. Most government financial aid forms, based on income, will ask for a social security number and / or IRS information so be prepared.
Now that you know a little more about financial aid for school, it's time to get working. Read over this material a few times to make sure you have plenty of ammunition when you are ready to find your money for college. Now is the best time to begin!!
College
Money Review
- You might need a student loan to pay tuition and
other school expenses. But, not always as this
piece about college money will explain. Explore all
your options for financing an education.
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Debt and Finances for College Students