Paying for College in Four Steps from The College Essay Guy: A comprehensive resource for financial aid 101.
Database of need-based aid from Big J consulting: See which colleges do the best job meeting student need.
FAFSA: The Free Application for Federal Student Aid will be available in December. Sign up now and get your FSA ID so you're ready to apply in December.
CSS Profile: Some schools--not all--will require families to complete the CSS profile.
Western Mass Community Foundation: Apply for hundreds of local scholarships through one application; they also have a no interest loan you can apply for.
Here's a database of regional scholarships; we'll update it as applications and information becomes available.
Search for other local and national scholarships through places like Smart Scholar or Fast Web.
Prep Scholar: Lists pre-college programs hosted at colleges throughout the summer.
Niche: List of the best trade schools in Massachusetts
U.S. News and World Report: A guide to trade schools
Best Colleges: Trade School v Community College