Now is the time to apply for student financial aid

So February is here and now is the time to start the financial aid application process. Why so early? Well, many schools and colleges have early deadlines as soon as February 15th to be considered for some types of student aid like Pell grants and even some need based college scholarships. Essentially, the earlier you get the application done and submitted, the more money you can be considered for to support your college education.

To get started, you need to gather information concerning your finances such as your W-2's, college fellowship amounts, current bank statements, dividend statements and the like. You basically need any financial information illustrating your income. Much of this can be gathered from the tax return you file, which is necessary to use when you fill out the free application for student aid. Not only is your tax information required, but if you are under 24, you need to make sure you get your parent's information also.

Be sure to get started now to get the most money you are eligible for academic funding.

For more information on college scholarships and student financial aid, go to CollegeMoneyUnlimited.com, a college funding resource site.

The Woes of the College Student

Recently, I read a story concerning a grad student who graduated with and M.A. and afterwards was looking at over $100,000 in student loan debt.
Wow!
Many students are graduating with high student load debt. The average student loan debt of graduating seniors is over $19,000 excluding parent loans (PLUS loans). This amount is even higher for graduate students.
Believe me, you do not want to be in this kind of debt after you leave college. The monthly payment for this kind of debt is high and sometimes what you make for your first job after college is simply not enough to pay for housing, food, entertainment and other expenses. It's even worse if you live in a major city where housing nearly costs half your income. It's a tough way to start out life.
Things are not getting better either. The cost of college is outpacing inflation at an incredible rate. In fact, college tuition inflation is about twice that of general inflation at about 8%. This means college tuition is doubling every nine years. Think about what that means for you as a college student.
Other factors aren't helping either: decreased federal assistance, increased housing costs for those who live in cities, higher energy costs, etc...
However, there is a way to circumvent high debt when you get out of college - college scholarships.
Many students overlook college scholarships for a number of reasons. One of the main factors is that they are unaware of the number of scholarships out there for a variety of interests, activities, memberships, etc... Some scholarships even go unawarded because of the lack of applicants. A second reason college scholarships are overlooked is that finding college scholarships and applying for them can be a time consuming process. What would you rather do? Spend time now trying to find and apply for college scholarships or take 10-30 years paying off your student loan debt?
To me, it's a no brainer.

There are several services that will help you find college scholarships for free.
Several services are listed on CollegeMoneyUnlimited.com as well as useful articles on finding money for college.

Happy Scholarship hunting!

Guaranteed College Scholarships

College scholarships come in all shapes and sizes, some are even guaranteed college scholarships.
A guaranteed college scholarship means that you will get the scholarship just by attending the school offering the scholarship. You still have to apply to the school, get accepted and even file a financial aid form, but guaranteed college scholarships do not require essays, portfolios or other types of competitions.
One of the most consistent aspect about guaranteed college scholarships are that most are based on your high school even college GPA and SAT and/or ACT score. However, some are based on whether you have family that are alumni, community associations or intended major.
For more information, check out Collegemoneyunlimited.com. The site lists many schools that offer guaranteed scholarships. You might find your school on the list.

Filing For Financial Aid

Why File the Free Application for Student Financial Aid

The time to file for financial aid is now here. Every year in February students are sent reminders to file there free application for student financial aid form. Maybe you are putting it off or do not feel you need to file for financial aid. The fact is, if you don't file, you might be giving up free money for college.

Filing for financial aid is an important process in going to college whether you are a student depending on your parents to pay for college, a parent of a potential college student or an adult student. By filing the free application for financial aid, you become potentially eligible for all types of financial aid in the form of grants, need-based scholarships and loans.

Most schools have a deadline to file by in order to receive the maximum amount of financial aid you might be eligible for. Usually the earliest deadline date to file is sometime in February and as late as early March. The earliest deadline is for maximum consideration. If you file after the earliest recommended deadline, much of the free money in the form of grants and need-based scholarships, might already be expended. Check with your school to find out the earliest deadline to be considered for the maximum amount you might be eligible for.

While you can file as late as the end of June of the academic year, the later you file, you limit yourself to only being eligible for loans. If you can't afford to pay for college any other way, loans are a good option, but they must be paid back when you finish school and the interest rates can be substantial, as high as 8.25%. Your best bet is to file early to avoid a substantial loan burden when you are done with school.

For more articles on college funding resources, go to CollegeMoneyUnlimited.com

College Scholarships

College Scholarships

The cost of a college education has increased dramatically over the last few years. With budget cuts to higher education and increased tuition, the burden of cost has increased for the average college student. While loans are an option, they have the drawback of needing to be repaid eventually. Another option for funding are scholarships, many of which are overlooked.

What are college scholarships?

College Scholarship programs essentially provide free money for college. Scholarships are awarded by charitable foundations, businesses, schools, universities, government agencies and private organizations and are awarded based on criteria set by these organizations. The criteria could be academic, athletic, membership in a specific group or club or on the basis of community service.

Finding College Scholarships

The search for college scholarships or grants is a timely process and applying can also take time, as some scholarships require essays or other material you will need to provide for consideration.

There are several resources available when searching for college scholarships. One of the most important resources is the school you plan on attending or are already attending. Your high school counselor may be able to provide information on scholarships and many universities have an office devoted to helping students find scholarships or grants.

Additionally, the university and public library may be good resources as well, especially if they have a section devoted to helping students find grants. If you're already attending a university, there may also be special seminars that provide information on how to go about a scholarship or grant search. Lastly, there are various online resources that will help you find scholarships. Be sure to research the website, though, to make sure they have a good reputation and are successful in assisting in the scholarship search. There are also inexpensive books on that may be helpful as well.

While the task of searching for college scholarships may be take time and energy, if you're successful, it will mean having to take out less in student loans and having less debt in the future related to your education.

For more information on College Scholarships and Funding, visit College funding and scholarship resources - CollegeMoneyUnlimited.com

College Scholarships

College Scholarships

The cost of a college education has increased dramatically over the last few years. With budget cuts to higher education and increased tuition, the burden of cost has increased for the average college student. While loans are an option, they have the drawback of needing to be repaid eventually. Another option for funding are college scholarships, many of which are overlooked.

To read more on finding college scholarships and other types of free funding, go to College Scholarships - CollegMoneyUnlimited.com