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If you know you’ll need to get financial aid to make college more affordable (most students do, by the way), then you should definitely learn everything you can about grants. They happen to be some of the best forms of financial aid you can get.

Here, I’ll tell you exactly why grants are so great and why you should seek them out. Then, I’ll get to the important stuff: where and how you can get your own grant awards.

Let’s get started!

With tuition rising every year, more and more students are asking themselves, "Is college worth it?" Many people believe that getting a college education is an important part of becoming a successful adult. Others, however, find it difficult to justify the increasing investment necessary to earn a degree. There’s no one path that’s right for everyone, and it can be difficult to think critically about the decision to go to college when you’re feeling pressured one way or another.

There’s no simple answer to this question, but there is a rational way to think about whether college is the right path for you. Just as with any investment, you want to think about the relationship between what you put into it (like money, time, and effort) and what you get out of it (like education, networking, and career opportunities). The more you get out of it as compared to how much you put in, the better the investment.

In this post, I'll go through all the potential benefits and drawbacks of pursuing a four-year bachelor's degree so you have all the information to decide for yourself whether college is worth it. 

If you want to save in a smart way for college (either for yourself or your child), you’ll want to make the most of your money. One of the best savings plans meant specifically for growing a college fund is called a 529 plan, or a qualified tuition plan.

But what is a 529 plan? Like any sort of investment plan, there are several types of 529s, all with their own benefits and drawbacks. In this post, I’ll talk about the basics of 529 plans, why they’re helpful, whether they affect financial aid, and where you can get one.

Most students who go to college have to take out loans to afford the cost of attendance. Private student loans can be a good option for you if you need more money to cover your college costs. However, which private loans are the best ones? When should you decide to take out a private loan?

In this article, I'll thoroughly explain the different types of loans and the most important factors to consider when getting a private loan.

Paying for college is already stressful and a bit overwhelming - applying for scholarships shouldn’t be too. To help you navigate the process of finding (and applying for) this helpful type of financial aid, we’ve put together this strategy guide with everything you need to know about how to find scholarships that are right for you.

You’ll learn about searching for awards in the right places (perhaps the most difficult part of the whole process), selecting the right scholarships, and putting together high-quality applications.

Let’s get started!

Searching for relevant scholarships is perhaps the most frustrating part of the scholarship application process. There are so many awards out there, but it’s hard to know which ones are worth applying to without carefully sifting through an overwhelming amount of information.

To make your search just a little bit easier, we’ve compiled some of the best scholarship websites (and offline search tools!) you can use to find scholarships. Of course, some are better than others - I’ll also go into the strengths and weaknesses of each scholarship search method.

At the end of the post, you’ll find tips for getting the most out of these scholarship search tools. They’re only helpful if you know how to use them effectively and efficiently - these strategies will help you navigate the (sometimes confusing) world of scholarship search tools.

Tuition is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) costs associated with attending college. Because of this, it’s important to know exactly how much of your money will be going towards this expense.

In this article, I’ll explain exactly what’s included in this “tuition” line item on your college bill. Then, I’ll get into some of the nitty-gritty details, like:

• What isn’t included with tuition
• Average college tuition cost and the wide range of possible tuition prices
• Ways to pay less for college tuition

Read on to learn more!

You may already know a lot about some of the big, popular, national scholarships - programs like the Gates Millennium Scholarship, the Coca-Cola Scholarship, McDonald’s Scholarships, and so on. If you’re interested in applying for scholarship money, it’s definitely easiest to start with awards that you already know about.

But if you only focus on these big awards, you could be missing out on a lot of cash. Local scholarship awards may be smaller than the most famous scholarship programs, but there are so many awards out there that it would be silly not to look into local options.

Here, I’ll talk a bit about how these local awards differ from the national ones and why it’s important that you consider these smaller scholarships. Then, I’ll talk about how you can find scholarships in your community. I’ll end with tips and strategies for submitting the best possible applications for local scholarship awards.

Keep reading if you want to win the most local scholarship money possible!

There are so many different types of financial aid out there, with some serving you better than others. This guide will demystify everything you need to know about the types of aid available to students.

I’ll start with the various options available to you and include examples that you can check out for yourself. Then, I’ll tell you exactly where and how you can get your hands on this financial aid money. Finally, I’ll explain which types of aid you should take advantage of - and which types you should stay away from.

Let's get started! 

You probably already know that college costs can be pretty intimidating. If you’re on a budget when it comes to paying for your degree (and most people are), knowing how to save money in college can make a big difference.

Here, I’ll talk a little bit about what college expenses you should be prepared for so that you have a better idea of what to expect. Then, I’ll discuss strategies for saving money before you get there, in addition to strategies for saving as a college student. 

Let’s get started!

 If you’re like the average student, you’re probably bemoaning the ever-rising cost of college. School seems almost impossibly expensive, and yet every year sticker prices tend to go up.

You know that getting a degree is important for your future career prospects, and you understand that you can apply for financial aid, but you just don’t get how schools can set these sky-high prices. Did college tuition always cost so much? And if not, why has it risen to its current rate?

There are a lot of benefits to having a job while you’re a college student (besides just the extra cash, of course). Some of the most convenient jobs available are located right on campus.

In this article, I’ll do a deep dive into the benefits of having a job in college before talking about exactly what you should look for to find good jobs for college students. Then I’ll get to the good stuff: a list of the best jobs out there and how to get one for yourself. Read on to learn more!

So you want to be proactive and save for college. Maybe you’re a high school student who wants to build up a college fund for yourself, or maybe you’re a parent or family member who wants to save for a young loved one. No matter your situation, you’re taking a proactive step in making college a little bit more affordable.

In this post, I’ll discuss the things you need to know in order to build, keep, and grow college savings. We'll discuss the five best ways to save for college to lower student debt on graduation and take a load off your mind.

First, though, I'll talk about the question you should be considering before you implement your savings plan: how much should you be putting away in the first place? Read on to find out!

As college costs continue to rise, financial aid has become a necessity for most college students. Ideally, the listed cost of attendance won’t deter you from applying to or attending the college of your dreams. Knowing about the process will enable you to maximize the amount of financial aid for college you receive and prevent finances from becoming an impediment to reaching your college goals.

In this article, I will define and explain the different types of financial aid that are available for college. Furthermore, I will explain how colleges determine your eligibility for financial aid, and I’ll offer you guidance and resources to make sure you know all the different types of aid available to you.

You did all the work of getting into your dream schools—researching the colleges, visiting campuses, getting great test scores, putting together a polished application—and still have to deal with one major obstacle: paying for college. Few students can pay for a full year at college without some assistance, but almost 2 million students graduate with a bachelor’s degree each year in the US—they must be paying for school somehow, right?

Whether you’re a high school student or a current undergraduate, it’s never too early (or too late) to think about minimizing your college costs to make school more affordable. In this post, I’ll go through everything you need to know about how to pay for college.

I’ll start off by talking about what college actually costs before moving into application strategies, figuring out how much money you need, how much aid you can get, and how much you should actually be paying. We'll cover all the major ways to pay for college that families usually use. At the end, I’ll offer some more creative options for closing the gap between your financial need and your actual cost.