Financial Aid
The resources listed below will help your family with the financial preparation for college.
| College Parents of America Exclusive! |
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| Apply for Financial Aid - Making Dollars and Sense | You will get a general idea of what Federal Student Aid is, what items you need to apply for Federal Student Aid and the overall process of Financial Aid Applications. | |
| College Financial Aid Package - Understand Your College Student's Financial Aid Package | You will understand the types of Financial Aid, how to get started and the simple steps to follow during your family's financial preparation for college. | |
| Loans for College Students and Parents | You will get a general idea of an important type of Financial Aid: Loans. You will also understand the differences between Federal Loans and Private Loans and the options you have within each category. | |
| We've done the homework for you! More resources: |
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| College Preparation Checklist |
College Admissions & Financial Aid Checklist for High School Seniors From elementary school to high school, no matter which grade your student is at right now, you can use the Checklist to find out what you can do to prepare yourself (or your child) for college. (Checklist brought to you by Federal Student Aid)
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| 529 Savings Plan | You will find answers to questions such as What is a 529 saving plan? What are the advantages to 529? What types of 529 plans are there? etc. | |
| 529 Prepaid Tuition Plan | If you know you want your child to go to a certain state or municipal university, this plan allows you to purchase tuition credits at that school at today’s prices. That means you will pay inflation-free college tuition for your child. | |
| General Information about Saving for College |
Your child’s age will have an impact on how you save. You might use different methods (recommended by SmartAboutMoney.org) for each of your child's life stages:
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Find the right student loan, whether you are a parent of an undergraduate student, a graduate student, or even returning to school yourself. Like other online shopping sites, SimpleTuition allows you to enter a few pieces of information and see sortable lists of student loans, including federal loans - like Stafford, PLUS and Graduate PLUS - and private student loans. Comparing student loans has never been more simple.
- In Struggle to Pay for College, You Are Not Alone There are three ways to pay for college, "before, during and after." Read this article if you would like the reassurance of knowing that there are millions of American families in your shoes, trodding a well-worn path of struggling to pay for a higher education. Learn also how College Parents of America can help.
- Ready, set, hike: today's starting lineup of student aid programs
- Aid Polices Create a Middle-Class Squeeze Those who are most needy can usually find available dollars, but that process is often not as easy for middle class.
- Let's Look in the Mirror on College Costs Sometimes we don't like to admit it, but parents have ourselves to blame - at least a bit - for rising college costs.
- College Parents of America Hopes to Help You to Find Ways to Pay for College Our commitment is to help your child succeed academically, and for you to succeed financially.
- Commission Hearing Puts Spotlight On College Parents College Parents of America testifies on college access and affordability before the U.S. Secretary of Education's Commission on the Future of Higher Education. Read excerpts of the testimony.
- Building Trust Between Colleges and Parents It all comes down to the "three P's," - pay, politics and price.
- Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) The mandatory form for applying for Federal student aid.
- FAFSA Personal Identification Number (PIN) To electronically file and update FAFSA forms, students are required to obtain a PIN at this site.
- CSS/Financial Profile A form required by some schools to receive financial aid. (Also available by calling 800/778-6888)
