Tuesday 24 February 2015

College Financial Aid Advice For Parents And Students

By Olivia Cross


With tuition costs on the rise, more students are searching for ways to decrease the costs of a higher education. If you are fresh out of high school, a single parent looking for a better job, or returning to school after a long hiatus in Stamford, CT you may be looking for options. The following guide outlines easy college financial aid advice that will help you save money.

Before doing anything else, spend some time doing research to get a feel for what opportunities exist, and which ones may be a good fit for your particular needs. Do not depend on others to do it for you. No one knows what you need better than you do.

There are companies who claim to assist new students in searching out scholarships and grants. While this may be an easy option, they do not know you as well as you know yourself. In other words, the company may overlook points or information that could increase your odds of getting a scholarship or grant.

When you first begin researching, try going through basic search engines and the college websites. It is surprising how much information can be gathered from these sources alone. In fact, there are websites dedicated to scholarship searches that will match your interests to existing programs.

Your college financial aid adviser or counselor is one asset that should not be overlooked. By spending time with this individual, you will be introduced to the various forms of assistance available to students. In fact, counselors will often point out opportunities you may not have been aware of.

The adviser will often encourage students to fill out a FAFSA which is an application that checks if the you are eligible for scholarships, grants, and loans. It is a good idea to get this filled out as soon as possible as it increases the chances of obtaining grants and scholarships. Sometimes this may include private loans through a college in Stamford, CT.

Try not to procrastinate, as waiting until the last minute can make the difference between getting awarded a scholarship or being declined for one. Individuals who rush through the application process tend to overlook details or instructions that may lead to disqualification. Also, should one plan fall through, if you have given yourself enough time, you will be able to seek out alternate options.

The classic cliche, do not put all your eggs in one basket, holds true in the case of financial aid. Students will often discover that one scholarship is not enough to cover cost of living expenses, tuition, books, and so forth. In this case other routes will be needed to make up the difference in the form of need based aid, scholarships, grants, private scholarships, schools that offer reduced tuition, and federal based student loans.

Researching options allows students to gain a better understanding of what is available to them. Remember, different options translate into more opportunities to reduce tuition costs. By following this simple advice, you will be able to locate different types of financial assistance that will save you money and help reduce tuition costs.




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