Last year, private college tuition rose to nearly $25,000. Public colleges, especially community colleges, charged far less, but costs there are rising as well.
In fact, college costs are increasing at between 4% and more than 6% annually, but the good news is that financial aid is increasing as well.
Some of that aid can probably be yours.
Approximately 2/3 of students receive federal aid each year. This aid comes in the form of grants and subsidized loans. The average student attending a two-year institution received $2,040 in such aid in 2007-2008. The average student at a four-year public institution received $3,600, and students attending four-year colleges were awarded, on average, $9,300 in federal aid.
The amount of federal grant aid and subsidized loans for which a student is eligible is calculated after an analysis of the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which students applying for federal aid programs are required to file.
There are other kinds of scholarships and grants available from states, colleges, and various organizations which require a student to have a completed FAFSA, so be sure to take care of the FAFSA as soon as you can.
Individual college and university financial aid offices can assist students in applying for federal, state, and other kinds of financial aid. And, there are many good scholarship information and search sites online. A simple search for "college scholarships" will yield dozens of such sites.
Contrary to what you may have heard, completing the FAFSA can be done pretty quickly and easily. Just look at it to determine what information it requires, get the information together, and plug it into the form.
You can fill out your FAFSA online or use the paper application which is available in any high school guidance office in the country. Submitting the FAFSA online is probably the better idea, as it allows you to make changes, if necessary, more quickly and easily.
Be accurate and be on time. There is nothing else to know. That's not too hard, right?
In fact, college costs are increasing at between 4% and more than 6% annually, but the good news is that financial aid is increasing as well.
Some of that aid can probably be yours.
Approximately 2/3 of students receive federal aid each year. This aid comes in the form of grants and subsidized loans. The average student attending a two-year institution received $2,040 in such aid in 2007-2008. The average student at a four-year public institution received $3,600, and students attending four-year colleges were awarded, on average, $9,300 in federal aid.
The amount of federal grant aid and subsidized loans for which a student is eligible is calculated after an analysis of the information provided on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), which students applying for federal aid programs are required to file.
There are other kinds of scholarships and grants available from states, colleges, and various organizations which require a student to have a completed FAFSA, so be sure to take care of the FAFSA as soon as you can.
Individual college and university financial aid offices can assist students in applying for federal, state, and other kinds of financial aid. And, there are many good scholarship information and search sites online. A simple search for "college scholarships" will yield dozens of such sites.
Contrary to what you may have heard, completing the FAFSA can be done pretty quickly and easily. Just look at it to determine what information it requires, get the information together, and plug it into the form.
You can fill out your FAFSA online or use the paper application which is available in any high school guidance office in the country. Submitting the FAFSA online is probably the better idea, as it allows you to make changes, if necessary, more quickly and easily.
Be accurate and be on time. There is nothing else to know. That's not too hard, right?
About the Author:
The author is a university history professor and the author of two books and more than two dozen published articles. He has also conducted research on online colleges and online degree programs for working professionals.
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