Save Thousands Of Dollars By Choosing The Right College
With the high cost of a college education, no one wants to pay more than they must. Yet thousands of families pay too much for college every year because they don’t understand the basics of financial aid and don’t know the right questions to ask. So let’s learn the basics and then what questions to ask.
Basics Part I
There are three types of financial aid for college: grants or scholarships, loans and work-study.
Grants and scholarships are free money that you do not need to pay back.
Most grants and scholarships come from the federal and state government or from the individual college.
Loans need to be paid back after college.
There are many loan programs available from the federal and state government. Most of these loans have fairly low interest rates. There are also private loans available although these generally have a higher interest rate.
Work-study is a job offered on the campus of the college.
Basics Part II
Need based aid vs Merit based aid
Need based aid is given by all colleges to students who have need. Anyone who can’t pay the full cost of the college has need.
A form called the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) determines the amount of need for federal grants and scholarships. Many highly selective colleges also require a form known as the Profile form The FAFSA form is filled out after January 1 of the year the student will first attend college.
Select A College That Will Help You Find A Job
If you are a high school senior or junior making decisions about the college you will attend and your goal is to graduate with a good job, you should think about a few issues that are seldom discussed. Since the cumulative effect of your choices can greatly impact the number of employers that will want to interview you in your senior year of college, wise students carefully think about each decision.
When evaluating colleges, most students and parents consider factors such as:
- Accreditation
- Admission Requirements
- Grant/Scholarship Money
- Tuition, Room & Board
- Size, Location and Environment
- Distance from Home
- Safety and Security
- Class Size
- Dorms
- Medical Facilities
- Campus Activities, Entertainment & Sports
- Gut Feelings
Although those college selection factors are important, there are other considerations that should also be evaluated. Here are a few things that may affect your chances for finding a good job when you graduate.
Reputation Of The College- Students should apply to the best colleges they can afford, colleges with a good reputation in their field of interest. A good college reputation will help when you begin to look for a job. Even if you are still uncertain about your major, keep in mind that nationally known and respected colleges tend to be more attractive to many employers. You will have to decide whether graduating from a college that is highly respected in your field, is worth the financial sacrifice.
Questions: Is there a two-year or lower cost four-year college that you can attend for the first two years and then transfer to a better college? Have you considered working full time and attending college at night or on weekends, as a way to afford a college with a good reputation in your area of interest?
What to Consider to Find the Right College For You
In trying to decide what type of college will best meet your wants and needs there are many things to consider. Listed below are some of the factors you will need to consider in deciding where you want to go to college.
Type of institution- Private or Public. College or University. Church sponsored.
Colleges can be either public or private. Public colleges are those that are supported by the state in which they are located. Many highly ranked colleges in the United States are state-supported institutions. These colleges can often provide an excellent education at a price for an in-state resident that is much less than comparable private colleges. At the early stages of your investigation, I would encourage you to consider both private and public colleges.
While private colleges frequently cost more than comparable state institutions, they often have the financial means to offer generous need-based or scholarship-based financial aid. This aid can make the cost of a private college the same or less than attending your state college.
Many of the more selective private universities and colleges have a religious affiliation. The extent of spiritual influence varies. But at the beginning of your college search, we strongly encourage you to investigate all private colleges, regardless of religious affiliation.
Academics- What courses and majors are you looking for
The most important reason for going to college is to get an education. The type of academic atmosphere and variety of courses studied is an important factor to be considered when choosing a college. Be careful, however, of choosing a college based solely on it having a particular major or field of study. Research shows that 90% of all college graduates do not major in the field of study they originally had intended. This happens for several reasons.
College Scholarship – FREE!
You must be dreaming about winning a college scholarship or receiving a sports or academic scholarship from a list of possible contributors. Actually none of the above. Parents or students can actually create their own college scholarship FREE with a little bit of thinking outside of the norm.
College scholarships are plentiful, yes, but it’s the acquiring of them, that is the obstacle. Why not listen to a different approach to acquiring enough capital to put you or your child through college. If the costs of everyday life weren’t enough already, reaching for additional funds to place your child or yourself through college is nothing more than a dream for most of us. We simply cannot afford college without trying to obtain college scholarships.
First, ask yourself, just exactly what is a college scholarship, grant, or paid tuition? A college scholarship is simply someone else paying for a recipient’s college expenses in order to reduce the amount the recipient has to pay for a college education.
College scholarships can be the difference in a student being able to enroll into college. Often times, the college that has accepted a student has done so strictly on the basis of the college scholarship, grant, or pre-paid tuition. Student loans are your worst-case scenario when searching for college funding. This is money you have to pay back, and that’s nothing more than buying on credit. Would you think going to college on a credit card was a smart investment?
Usually the mere thought of college scholarships doesn’t come to mind until months or even weeks before considering the reality of your child nearing their high school graduation. How will you tell them, I wish we could send you to college, but without a college scholarship we simply can’t afford it.
Should College Athletes Be Paid?
College sports bring in big dollars every year on the major college level. These programs bring $30 and sometimes $40 million dollars per year to the universities and colleges and the players get nothing. These are the same players who are breaking their backs for the university day in and day out and can’t get a share of that money and, to me, that does not seem fair. I know what you may be thinking: that these student athletes are getting a free education or have gotten a scholarship to play ball at that university. To me, that’s the least they could be doing.
When I look at college football on Saturdays and see packed stadiums with cheering fans paying big money for a ticket I say, what business out there could run a company and not pay its workers? You would think I was talking about some Third World country! Pay the players now, please!
Think about this one: most of the college coaches get six figure salaries– big college programs and small ones. Some of these college coaches get shoe contracts, some get T.V. and radio contracts and many other perks along the way. Also, if they are a good coach and win games they will be offered another coaching job somewhere else with bigger money and larger perks! The student athletes get nothing and, to me, something should be done about that. Please pay the players now!