How to Pay for College
There are many moving pieces when considering the options to pay for college. I’ve spent years understanding each of the pieces. As an Independent Educational Consultant, an employee at a major University, an adult student and a research guru, I am passionate about this topic. In addition to the above, I happen to be the mom of 4 young adults ( 1 in medical school, 2 in college and 1 in high school. ) Helping families and students for the last 10+ years through the college admissions process as well as through the obstacles of paying for college has given me a unique insight that I can use to help others. This is a topic I love and enjoy helping families in anyway I can.
Sherri Graf
How to find money at your school
#1 SCHOOL FUNDING
SCHOOL SCHOLARSHIPS AND ENDOWMENT FUNDS ARE A GREAT PLACE TO START
Schools with large endowment funds often give bigger scholarships to their students. Universities give money to students for various reasons.
1. Merit Scholarships – These are for the students who have high GPAs, Class ranks in the top 10% and exceptional test scores. If you fit into this category, excellent! If you don’t, no worries. There are options for everyone.
2. Departmental Scholarships – Each Department in a University has its own budget and can decide which students they want to recruit and use that budget to give departmental scholarships as desired.
3. Fine Arts and Athletic Scholarships – For students who have exceptional talent in their talent or skill, there are scholarships available and you should begin pursuing them as early as you can in high school.
4. First Generation Students- For those students whose parents did not graduate from college, many schools have not only excellent programs for support but financial awards as well.
FAQ’s I get …..
How do I get a full ride to college? This is the million dollar question. In working with students for the last decade, I’ve seen it happen but it isn’t often. There are varying reasons why a school would offer a full ride to a student. The important thing here is to make yourself stand apart from your competition.
How can I pay for a private school? In my experience, private schools give away a lot of money and it is negotiable. Public schools have less flexibility in their decisions regarding funding. Don’t shy away from a private school, it may end up being cheaper than a public school.
Do I have to be an excellent student to get money from a college? No, different schools value different things such as community service, hard work ethic, skills and talents, family legacy etc…..
Outside Scholarships are available!
#2 OUTSIDE SCHOLARSHIPS
This is one of my favorite topics. Through the years, I have helped students find outside scholarships. One of my students received 280k dollars. You are probably thinking she was a super star. Well, of course she was amazing, but all people are. She was a hard worker who put in a lot of effort, had dyslexia and a great attitude. Her hard work paid off in a major way.
The scholarship strategy I used for many years was effective but I must admit a bit overwhelming. I soon became weary of weeding through thousands of scholarships to find a few that were relevant to my students or my own children. I enjoy finding solutions to problems so I found one! I’ve spent the last few years developing a scholarship app that is built to narrow down options for the student, saving time and streamlining the process making it more effective. The amount of outside scholarships you get will be proportionate to the amount of time you spend.
Where do I find the scholarships? https://imaginescholarships.com/
How do I organize them? We’ve made it easy. You can apply directly from our site or you can save the ones that interest you and return and apply later.
What do I need to have prepared before applying? Often you won’t need anything to get started. Although most are fairly easy to apply to, some scholarships ask for an essay or a transcript. It is also a good idea to have a few letters of recommendation on hand as well as a resume of the things you’ve accomplished, community service and work experience.
How do I make myself competitive for scholarships? This is a great question. Scholarships are available for students as young as middle school all the way through adulthood. The key to being competitive is to put effort into the application and make sure you stand apart from your competition. Be sure to portray yourself in an accurate way.
For the most comprehensive way to find scholarships, take our CASH FOR COLLEGE COURSE, you’ll be glad you did!
College Loans
#3 LOANS
Loans for school can be complicated. I’d like to give you some options for you to consider as well as some ideas to help you through the process.
Subsidized Loans- Subsidized Loans are loans for undergraduate students with financial need, as determined by your cost of attendance minus expected family contribution and other financial aid (such as grants or scholarships). Subsidized Loans do not accrue interest while you are in school at least half-time or during deferment periods
An unsubsidized loan is a federal loan for undergraduate college students who are still in school, and need for help to pay for tuition and related expenses. To qualify for an unsubsidized loan, or direct unsubsidized loan, you first need to visit and complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)
There are many options when considering loans for school. Believe it or not, many loans are at 0% interest, allowing you to earn interest on your money while using money that is loaned to you, often paying it back a small amount at a time.
One of my favorite loan options for Texas is a 0% loan, paid back at $50 per month. It opens each year on November 1st. You can find it here : https://comptroller.texas.gov/programs/education/msp/funding/aid/scholarship/scaasf.php
For loan options, here are some good sources to try :
https://www.unionfederalstudentloans.com/
https://www.pnc.com/en/personal-banking/borrowing/student-loan-center.html
https://nelnet.studentaid.gov/welcome
https://www.wellsfargo.com/goals-going-to-college/
https://www.edvisors.com/apply/lender/sixup/
https://www.thriventcu.com/student-loan-resources
Having a student loan is a great option when other options are not available. I do not have agreements with any of the companies above but have heard of good experiences for my families who have used these options.
Why you should fill out the FAFSA
#4 FAFSA
LET’S TALK ABOUT THE FAFSA
Many students and parents feel instant fear when you mention the word FAFSA. As a parent of 3 students in college, I can tell you that it isn’t as intimidating as it sounds. Here are the common questions I am asked:
1. When do I fill out the FAFSA? You can begin filling out the FAFSA on October 1st of the year before you are attending school. You have to fill it out each year of schooling.
2. What taxes do I use for my FAFSA? You use the taxes of the previous year. For example, if you are hoping to receive funds for the 2024-2025 school year, you would submit your 2022 taxes on October 1st. It sounds confusing but it isn’t.
3. Where do I actually fill out the FAFSA? There are many sites that try to lure you to filling out the FAFSA through them. The truth is, it is a government site and you do not need to use any other service to complete it. They do a great job of giving excellent instructions, videos and contact info. for information. Here is the official site to apply: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized Here are additional resources to help you: https://studentaid.gov/understand-aid/types/loans/subsidized-unsubsidized You can also go to YouTube for FAFSA videos that are very informative.
4. We have a solid income, do I still need to fill out the FAFSA? YES! I cannot stress this enough! Many schools won’t consider the student for school scholarships and other opportunities that are not need based if you do not have a FAFSA on file. Everyone who is in college should have a FAFSA on file.
Get your free FAFSA Book here, it is everything you need to know for the FAFSA
Working in College
#5 WORK STUDY OPTIONS
Work–study is a way for students to earn money to pay for school through part-time on (and sometimes off) campus jobs. Work–study gives students an opportunity to gain valuable work experience while pursuing a college degree. However, not every school participates in the Federal Work–Study Program.
A few important things to know:
If you are awarded “work study” through your financial aid, it is still your responsibility to go find that opportunity on your campus.
You do not have to qualify to apply for work on your campus.
Work Study funds are not applied directly to your tuition. You are paid a wage and you can use it as you wish.
Work study jobs are not guaranteed year to year.
Having a work study job allows you to begin building a resume and gives you valuable work experience.
Work Study earnings are removed from your FAFSA calculations the following year.
I think the work study programs are an excellent idea and one that many students will benefit from as well as enjoy!
How to Pay for College
#6 OTHER REALLY GREAT OPTIONS
THERE ARE MANY GREAT WAYS TO PAY FOR SCHOOL
HERE ARE A FEW OTHER IDEAS:
Some schools offer school credit for work experience. If you are considering going back to school after working for many years, this may be a great option to consider.
You can get college credit from other places that are very inexpensive and transfer them to the school of your choice. Please keep in mind that not all school accepts all transfer hours so make sure you have a master plan before getting started. Here are a few really great option for getting hours for very little money.
https://www.straighterline.com/ – This is one of my favorite options. Courses usually run about $59-79 dollars per month and a monthly fee of $99. This is all self paced so you could easily finish a course in a week for about $159 dollars. This option is hard to beat as long as the school you want to transfer the hours to accepts it.
https://training.fema.gov/is/ceus.aspx – Some schools will allow you to transfer up to 30 hours of FEMA credit. FEMA courses are FREE! That is 30 free hours of college credit though sometimes there is small a fee to transfer the credits.
There are many companies who will pay you to work while they are paying for you to go to school. There is more about that here : https://imaginescholarships.com/
Each state has many opportunities for their residents. For example, here are some resources for our Texas clients: https://imaginescholarships.com/
Many hours can also be earned through dual credit during high school or while homeschooling.
CLEP TESTING is another great option if you are skilled in a particular subject, you can get college credit by taking a test in that subject. SUBJECT TESTS are another similar option.
There are many many ways to reduce the costs of an education. I’ve discussed many in this blog post but without a doubt, my favorite option for finding money for school is at Imagine Scholarships. We make the process easy and update the scholarship database daily so that you always have the latest scholarships available. We have scholarships for students as young as middle school through graduate school.
There are also many other great resources and helpful tips on our blog:
https://www.imaginecollegecoaching.com/courses-1
https://imaginescholarships.com/
I built on online course that is filled with valuable information that you can find here:
https://imaginescholarships.com/
Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions, we are happy to help! https://imaginescholarships.com/
