Paying for College - Tips for Parents on Grants,
Scholarships, Student Loans |
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Paying for College - Tips for Parents on Grants,
Scholarships, Student Loans
Paying for your children's college education can be a daunting task, even for parents who saved and planned way in advance. These days, tuition prices can be as much as $30,000 or even $50,000 a year. Fortunately, however, there are numerous grants and scholarships that you can use to help lower expenses and make your children's education more affordable. Although these grants and scholarships require a little bit more planning, form filling, research, and patience, they are well worth the effort and time.
FAFSA Grants and Scholarships
Every parent and child should apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which is money given by the government to help families afford college. Sometimes, this assistance is in the form of a loan, and sometimes it's in the form of grants.Books and Web Sites Dedicated to Grants and Scholarships
There are hundreds of books and Web sites that contain countless links to individual grants and scholarships. Some are organized by amount, others are organized by demographic, and still others are organized by talent, industry, or location.Apply to As Many Different Grants and Scholarships as Possible
Do the math. If you have a 1% chance of winning any given scholarship, and if you apply to over a hundred different grants and scholarships, the chances of your coming-out a winner are pretty high. Go through the above mentioned books and Web sites and apply to as many different grants and scholarships as you can. This obviously takes considerable effort, but when you consider the amount of money you can secure, it's a no-brainer.
