College is the usual step right after graduating high school for most students. Finding colleges can be a daunting task, as there are a lot of them, but if you take your time and do some research, you will find the college that is best for you. I am going to keep this brief as your school counselor should be a better help in finding the right college, since they know all of your grades, work permits, records, and anything else you tell them.
There are two internet resources I would like to introduce in order to help you find the right college.
- The CollegeBoard has a college search that can help you sort through all the colleges depending on majors, cost, location, etc.
- The second resource is findmydegree.com. This site does a wonderful job helping you find available colleges. Give it a try.
Financial Aid
One of the most financially troubled times happens for families when their high school student get ready for college. Attending college has many costs that can start from the beginning of high school. SAT/ACT tests can be costly, and even more so if you get a tutor. Then there are fees to apply to schools, which ends up being pretty expensive if your student wants to have a good list of safety schools. Then there is the actual tuition and board fee, which ends up being the most costly. Unless your student goes to community college, this will end up costing anywhere between mid-twenty thousand dollars to over fifty thousand dollars. Let’s get started on how to start paying off this expensive bill.
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The first step towards financial aid is to get the FAFSA form. Talk to your school counselor about this. It is a federal form that allows you to apply for government financial aid. This will, no doubt, be your biggest help for financial aid, unless you get a full ride to a school or receive a large amount from a scholarship. Keep in mind that FAFSA has many types of aids ranging from free money to unsubsidized loans.
Scholarships
Scholarships are given to students that qualify for them. There are literally scholarships for everything, from writing articles on texting while driving for your school newspaper to participating in academic events. However, there are usually eligibility rules that must be followed exactly as it is. One small error and there’s a high chance that your eligibility will be void. To find scholarships, there are a couple of resources.
- Talk to your counselor. They will have information on scholarships and college admissions. It is their job to advise students, and they will usually be the best resource for finding local scholarships.
- Start looking on the internet. I personally found Fastweb.com to be excellent. Start looking early as there is a massive amount of scholarships that you will have to peruse through and find the ones that are eligible for you.
In your search for scholarships, you’ll soon notice that a lot of them are for students who do more than just go to school and get good grades. If you haven’t done so yet, find some extra-curricular. They will keep you busy, and will help your college admissions. One of the most popular type of extra-curricular is volunteering, so start with that. Find some national clubs volunteering club like Lions Club or Key Club, or your local school volunteering club.
Remember, when you find a scholarship, read the fine print and follow their eligibility rules exactly as it says and you will be on your way to free money for college.
