Resources
General
FAFSA is Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Most scholarship programs and colleges require students to complete FAFSA online prior to applying for any financial aid or scholarships. www.fafsa.ed.gov
Federal Student Aid
Federal Pell Grant is a government awarded grant to undergraduate students that does not have stipulations for repayment. The maximum Pell Grant for 2010/2011 school year is $5,550 (grant amounts will vary).
Direct Stafford Student Loans are low-interest loans for eligible students to help cover the cost of higher education at a four-year college or university, community college, or trade, career, or technical school. Eligible students borrow directly from the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) at participating schools. There are subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loans.
Parents of dependent students may apply for Direct PLUS loans as long as eligibility requirements are met. Graduate students may also apply for PLUS loans. First time borrowers of these federal loans must first complete the electronic MPN (Master Promissory Note).
http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/index.jsp
ACT is the college entrance exam that most students take. Test registration, preparation and scores are available from this site. This website also provides resources for educational and career planning for students as well as financial aid. The ACT Student Blog highlights experience and advice from students. www.act.org
College Board provides updates on the standard college tests such as SAT and PSAT, general test information and sample questions. The site contains calculators to compare financial aid awards and resources to find a college, apply for college and pay for college. www.collegeboard.com
Scholarship Opportunities and Financial Aid Resources
Students.gov is an official US government web site for college students and their families. This site provides a wealth of information on planning and paying for college, campus life, career development, study skills, numerous links to scholarship and resources, military service, and other government services. www.students.gov
FinAid provides tools and information on funding college. www.finaid.org
Financial Aid Facts provides free scholarship and financial aid information. www.finaidfacts.org
Scholarship Help provides information on how college funding works, how to apply, tips for preparing the application and interviewing. www.scholarshiphelp.org
Fast Web is one of the most complete sites available for scholarship search and notifications. www.fastweb.com
FAFSA4caster is a tool on the FAFSA site that will help you estimate eligibility for federal financial aid. www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov
Saving for College provides tools, calculators and information on college savings, 529 plans, and financial aid. www.savingforcollege.com
Gates Millennium Scholarship applications must be submitted by January 10, 2011. https://nominations.gmsp.org/GMSP_App/default.aspx
Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation provides scholarship awards to eligible high school seniors. Applications are accepted between August 1 and October 31. www.coca-colascholars.org
US Bank scholarship opportunity http://www.usbank.com/cgi_w/cfm/studentloans/marketing.cfm
Hispanic Scholarship Fund provides financial support for Latinos going to college and educates students and families about the resources available. www.hsf.net
Hispanic College Fund (HCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to developing the next generation of Hispanic professionals in America. www.hispanicfund.org
UNCF is an educational assistance organization with 40 private, historically black, member colleges and universities. www.uncf.org
Financial and College Advice Sites and Articles
Ben Kaplan is a leading expert on college scholarships and financial aid. He personally secured two dozen scholarships totaling $90,000 and graduated debt-free from Harvard. He has numerous books and resources available. His website provides information through articles and blogs. www.cityofcollegedreams.org
Jean Chatzky is a financial advisor who addresses college savings plans and various financial topics such as college loan debt repayment, co-signing loans, who pays for college, etc.
http://www.jeanchatzky.com/category/topics/college/
PBS web site link gives tips on Financial Advice for College Students. Tabs for Personal Finance, Tools and Resources/college section provide additional college information.
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/tavissmiley/special/roadtowealth/tools/tips-college-students.html
Financial Advice for Incoming College Freshman:
http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26515247/ns/today-money/
Paying for College: resources and links to a variety of financial information
http://www.usnews.com/sections/education/paying-for-college/
Lynn O’Shaughnessy, The College Solution blog on CBSmoneywatch.com
http://moneywatch.bnet.com/saving-money/blog/college-solution/?tag=col2;blogroll
College Information
Inside Tips for College Admissions is a good article with 8 tips for applying to college.
http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local-beat/Inside-Tips-for-College-Admissions-105214399.html
College View is a free online search based site with information on colleges & universities, financial aid resources and career information.
www.collegeview.com
Campus Tours is a free site to access virtual tours of hundreds of college and university campuses.
www.campustours.com
Unigo is a free online student-generated college guide dedicated to representing America’s colleges and universities.
www.unigo.com
Forbes has several lists on the web to: America’s Best Colleges, America’s Best College Buys and The Best Business Schools.
http://www.forbes.com/2010/08/11/best-colleges-universities-rating-ranking-opinions-best-colleges-10_land.html?boxes=listschannelinsidelists
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/02/best-buys-colleges-opinions-value.html?boxes=listschannelinsidelists
http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/05/best-business-schools-09-leadership-careers_land.html?boxes=listschannelinsidelists
Pepperdine University provides a long list of outside scholarship opportunities and other financial aid information.
http://seaver.pepperdine.edu/financialassistance/assistance/outside-scholarships.htm
Carleton College is one of the top rated liberal arts colleges in the country. Carleton offers a summer program to high school sophomores to introduce them to the strengths of a liberal arts education.
www.carleton.edu/summer/clae
Gap Year Information, Articles and Resources
Many students are considering taking a gap year between high school and college or before starting a career. The opportunities are endless and provide a wealth of experience. Here are a few sites to explore this possibility.
www.americorps.gov
www.cityyear.org
www.outwardbound.org
http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2010/12/28/is-a-gap-year-right-for-your-family/
http://blogs.wsj.com/juggle/2009/04/07/taking-time-off-before-college-on-a-gap-year/tab/print/
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/15/jobs/15pre.htm?_r=1
