Paying for College-Slides from the presentation

How To Read A Financial Aid Award Letter

It is important to understand Financial Aid terminology because there is no standardized financial aid package. This article is designed to help you understand your financial aid award letter: Scoir Blog article on Financial Aid Award Letters

FAFSA 101 - 6 minute video:  

https://www.stlouisfed.org/education/personal-finance-101-conversations/episode-14-fafsa 

CFNC FAFSA 101 webpage: 

https://sites.google.com/pinnacleclassicalacademy.com/counselingdepartment/financial-aid-scholarships/financial-aid-resources 

View and download resources from the office of Federal Student Aid.

https://studentaid.gov/resources 

They provide resources on preparing for college or career school, applying for aid, consumer protection, and more.

Great Infographic on Paying for College: 

https://www.stlouisfed.org/education_resources/college101/index.html 

Top 175 College Scholarships--information about popular merit and need-based scholarships all in one place: https://www.mometrix.com/blog/scholarships-for-college/ 

Cost Comparison Spreadsheet 

You can use the spreadsheet below to compare costs at the colleges where you have been accepted. Once you open the spreadsheet, Got to File>Make a Copy to create your own copy for editing! See Dr. Martin with questions or for assistance. 

10 Uncomfortable-But-Necessary Financial Aid Questions You Need to Ask

No matter who you are or how much you have, talking about money is awkward. But it’s especially awkward when you’re asking for it.

Unfortunately, most students need to ask for money to attend college. And the number one beneficiary they’re asking? The college itself.

Navigating financial aid can be tricky; you need to know what questions to ask. Therefore, we’ve compiled a list of ten key questions to ask your colleges of choice about their financial aid policies. Some of these may not apply to you, and there may be others you need to ask based on your unique situation. These ten, however, should get you off to a great start.

Read More

Other helpful websites:

• Apply for federal financial aid by completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) here:  https://studentaid.gov/h/apply-for-aid/fafsa  The FAFSA opens on October 1 each year. 

• Scholarships at your fingertips through Scholarship Owl: https://scholarshipowl.com/ 

• Scholarships and other college resources through Peterson's: https://www.petersons.com/ 

• Scholarship matching app Scholly: https://myscholly.com/welcome/ 

Podcast on Paying for College

https://www.consumerfinance.gov/about-us/newsroom/cfpb-announces-podcast-series-paying-higher-education/

Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Announces Podcast Series on Paying for Higher Education 

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (Bureau) today released the first episodes of a two-part podcast series for students, parents, and practitioners on managing finances before, during, and after college. The podcast series, Financial inTuition, will include interviews with experts in financial aid, student loans, financial coaching, and planning. The podcasts also will highlight the Bureau’s bevy of resources and tools to help young adult consumers make sound financial decisions.

"For young people, deciding on whether to attend college is a big decision, but equally important is figuring out how to pay for it,” said Director Kathleen L. Kraninger. “The Financial inTuition podcast series is aimed at providing tools, tips, and other informational resources to prepare students for what is assuredly one of the biggest financial decisions in life."

The first part of the series, "Managing Your Money," consists of three episodes:

§  Episode 1: "Financing Your Future: How to Pay for Higher Education" – This segment will offer tips on preparing for life after high school, and focus on key financial questions one should explore before making a college/higher education decision.

§  Episode 2: "Managing Money as a Young Adult" ­– This episode will discuss budget and money management tips, including resources offered by the CFPB, and other advice on how to manage finances as a young adult.

§  Episode 3: "Understanding and Protecting Your Credit" – This episode will provide insight about understanding the importance of your credit and how to protect it. This episode will cover the function of nationwide credit bureaus and credit reports, how credit scores are calculated, how to build credit and more.

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The second part of the Financial inTuition podcast series, Student Loan Repayment, will be released in late fall. The three episodes on "Managing Your Money" can be found at: https://www.consumerfinance.gov/practitioner-resources/students/financial-intuition/

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The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is a 21st century agency that helps consumer finance markets work by regularly identifying and addressing outdated, unnecessary, or unduly burdensome regulations, by making rules more effective, by consistently enforcing federal consumer financial law, and by empowering consumers to take more control over their economic lives. For more information, visit consumerfinance.gov.

Video: Paying for College Information Session for Students and Parents

Tune in at the link below for a video of a Paying For College Info Session full of great ideas and information about how to pay for college, how to qualify for in-state tuition, and how the financial aid process works. This information is essential for seniors and senior parents. 

Paying For College Session (50 minutes)