College Admissions Help Blog

So now most of you are getting your acceptance letters and your financial aid award letters.  Hopefully, it is good news all around.  However, if you have questions about financial aid and how you are going to pay that hefty tuition bill, here are some resources:

• Financial Aid Forums - Discuss all things financial aid!
• Search for Scholarships -Search for college scholarships, awards and grants.
• Federal Student Loans -  A great overview of you federal student loan options and generally all ways to pay for college.
• Private Student Loans - Find, compare and apply for private student loans.

Let us know if you find other useful websites...

First of all, congratulations on getting into college! The stressful waiting is over, but now you have that life-changing decision of what school to choose. For many students, this is chosen based on financial aid awards, but picking the perfect school may not be so clear for everyone. Either way, attending a school’s accepted students day (or weekend) can be extremely beneficial. Read on to learn why…
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While high school seniors are receiving their acceptance letters and financial aid award packages, they might be exploring the differences between the loans they are eligible for and wondering how to actually acquire these loans. Many students are lucky enough to qualify for Unsubsidized Stafford Loans, which have a lower interest rate than subsidized ones. There are also thousands of students who are only eligible for Subsidized Stafford Loans. If you are a student who is planning on taking out one of these two Stafford loans, there are some things you should know about the process…

(Read the whole article  Freshmen: How To Get Your Stafford Loans)

ScholarshipPoints.com just announced the winner of the March $10,000 Free Scholarship sponsored by HowToGetIn (Read more about HowToGetIn’s Annual Scholarships). Paolina Engibegian from Glendale Community College was the lucky winner! HowToGetIn’s next sponsored scholarship is the October $1,000 free scholarship, and students can enter starting October 1, 2011 (the winner will be drawn on November 1). There will be another $10,000 scholarship drawing on ScholarshipPoints on June 15, 2011. To sign up to win visit our page on “How to win scholarships.”

In the midst of tax season, it is important to be aware of the credits and deductions available for college students. Saving money wherever you can is a huge help in relieving the college financial burden, and these tax credits help you do it!

Before claiming a tax credit or tax deduction, it is important to understand the difference between them. Tax credits take off a certain amount of money in total from what you owe. Tax deductions subtract an amount from your taxable income, which means that the exact amount you can save varies. You may not be able to claim both a deduction and credit, so it is important do calculate which one saves you the most money.
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Now that most students are getting there acceptance letters, the next steps is figuring how to pay for college...  You would be surprised at the number of options available.  We have compiled a good overview of your financial aid options, including scholarships, grants and student loans.  Please review and provide your comments or questions below: http://www.howtogetin.com/pay-for-college/ Another great resource for learning more and asking questions about financial aid: http://www.financialaidforum.com/ - Financial Aid Discussion Board Let us know what other sites you find helpful!

It’s that time of year again when students are patiently awaiting their college acceptance letters. By this point, you have hopefully completed and filed your FAFSA, so now all you have to do is wait, right? Not quite. There are still some important tasks to complete during these upcoming weeks.

Check your Student Aid Report

For those students who filed their FAFSAs way back in January, by now you should have your Student Aid Report. It is imperative that you look over this document carefully, as any errors can affect the amount of aid you are offered. Should you find an error, make sure to get it amended ASAP.
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