JT Education

Posts Tagged ‘College Education’

 

Studying in the right college will make a lot of difference in your career path. Sometimes, choosing a wrong college may even spoil your career. Hence, the importance of choosing the right college becomes significant. Every student must be aware of the importance in choosing the right college. Moreover, they must be aware of the benefits of choosing the right college. This article will definitely help the reader to understand the importance and benefits of selecting a good college.

Why it is important to choose the right college

Choosing the right college for study is very much important. The importance of choosing the right college is as follows:

Only the right college can help in shaping the students’ educational as well as career path.

Only the right college can arrange for useful campus interviews.

Only the right college can guide students regarding career plans.

Only the right college can provide the proper timeline to finish the degree.

Benefits of choosing a good college

Students can enjoy a lot of benefits once they put their effort in choosing a good college. Some of the benefits of choosing a good college are as follows;

A good college will provide the right exposure to the subjects and fields of study.

A good college will provide the freedom and enjoyment required for a college life.

A good college will guide in getting better jobs.

A good college will guide the students to do better higher studies.

Only if people choose a good college, they can enjoy maximum benefit from their college education. All the points given in this article should be considered in order to understand the importance and benefits of choosing the best and right college.

Studying in the right college will make a lot of difference in your career path. Sometimes, choosing a wrong college may even spoil your career. Hence, the importance of choosing the right college becomes significant. Every student must be aware of the importance in choosing the right college. Moreover, they must be aware of the benefits of choosing the right college. This article will definitely help the reader to understand the importance and benefits of selecting a good college.

Why it is important to choose the right college

Choosing the right college for study is very much important. The importance of choosing the right college is as follows:

Only the right college can help in shaping the students’ educational as well as career path.

Only the right college can arrange for useful campus interviews.

Only the right college can guide students regarding career plans.

Only the right college can provide the proper timeline to finish the degree.

Benefits of choosing a good college

Students can enjoy a lot of benefits once they put their effort in choosing a good college. Some of the benefits of choosing a good college are as follows;

A good college will provide the right exposure to the subjects and fields of study.

A good college will provide the freedom and enjoyment required for a college life.

A good college will guide in getting better jobs.

A good college will guide the students to do better higher studies.

Only if people choose a good college, they can enjoy maximum benefit from their college education. All the points given in this article should be considered in order to understand the importance and benefits of choosing the best and right college.

The ability to obtain an online education degree has opened the educational doors for many students who cannot afford to attend school on campus as a full-time student.  Distance learning courses definitely provide some advantages over the traditional college education. But, because of the methods of delivering and receiving the material, students must consider the 7 things necessary in approaching an online education successfully.

1. Choosing the best education online institution – Make sure the institute for higher education chosen has adequate resources and accreditation recognized by the proper authorities.  Unless authenticity can be verified, find another school.  Sadly, unscrupulous degree mills offer degrees with short-term or no real education. Thus, the diplomas are bogus and absolutely worthless. Find a school that provides solid education, ample student support, and the facilities necessary to succeed in your distance learning.

2. Evaluate the cost and benefits – Generally, obtaining an online education is a costly venture. Most people do not realize the cost is often more than a traditional education.  So, it is important to evaluate the desired online education degree, and determine whether the benefit of future income opportunities will offer the reward for gaining an online degree.

3. How do employers view an online education degree? – There are many instances where employers were skeptical about the legitimacy of online education degrees. With so many “diploma mills” out there, it’s warranted for employers to be cautious. Although an online education degree might be legit, it would be very helpful to the employer if you provided the type of accreditation your college has beforehand to avoid any misunderstanding. By letting the employer know in advance that your institution was accredited by an institution that is recognized by CHEA and US department of Education, you will be a step ahead in qualifying for that dream job.

4. Discipline, determination, and time – First time distance learning students are often surprised by the amount of discipline necessary to stay on task and complete the online assignment.  It takes unfaltering determination to achieve an online education. In addition, without regularly scheduled classes, it is essential to exercise good time management skills. To keep focused, without the physical presence of educator and peers, it is important to establish communication with other students to have another push toward success in your education degree online

5. Utilize all the facilities provided – Online courses generally provide online lectures and email correspondence to ensure a means of communication with instructors, tutors, and fellow students.  Take advantage of every opportunity to utilize these resources of motivation and encouragement, as well as establish a sense of connection with the college or university.

6. Make use of credit transfers – Many online education degree colleges allow students to transfer their credits from courses they took in previous colleges, whether online or traditional. By doing this, it means students don’t have to repeat courses they learnt before. For this to be effected, it’s important for a student who intends to pursue an education online to make sure they get transcripts and results from their previous universities or colleges and make them available to their accredited online college so they can be passed as transfer credits.

7. Make use of the educational technology – Accredited online universities offer a plethora of opportunities for doing necessary research and other facilities to ensure adequate completion of the course.  Normally, the cost of virtual libraries, the programs to access online lectures, and even student online access and e-mail accounts are factored into the cost of the course. Therefore, it only makes sense to use all the technology available to make the most of the educational opportunity in achieving an online education degree.

What you need to know about financial aid BEFORE choosing a college.

With the high cost of a college education, no one wants to pay more than they must. Yet thousands of families pay too much for college every year because they don’t understand the basics of financial aid and don’t know the right questions to ask. So let’s learn what questions to ask.

Basics Part I

There are three types of financial aid for college: grants or scholarships, loans and work-study.

Grants and scholarships are free money that you do not need to pay back.

Most grants and scholarships come from the federal and state government or from the individual college.

Loans need to be paid back after college.

There are many loan programs available from the federal and state government. Most of these loans have fairly low interest rates. There are also private loans available although these generally have a higher interest rate.

Work-study is a job offered on the campus of the college.

Basics Part II

Need based aid vs Merit based aid

Need based aid is given by all colleges to students who have need. Anyone who can’t pay the full cost of the college has need.

A form called the Free Application for Federal Student Assistance (FAFSA) determines the amount of need for federal grants and scholarships. Many highly selective colleges also require a form known as the Profile form The FAFSA form is filled out after January 1 of the year the student will first attend college.

The FAFSA and Profile forms ask questions about the income of the parents and student using information that you gave on your tax returns. These forms also ask questions about the amount of money you have in savings or investments. The Profile form is more detailed than the FAFSA form. Once these forms are completed the government uses the FAFSA form to determine how much your family can pay for college. This is your expected family contribution or your EFC. Your EFC is the same regardless of the cost of the college. Similarly the individual colleges who use the Profile use that form to determine what your family can pay for college.

Your need is the cost of the college you are looking at minus your EFC. For example, if you are looking at a college that costs ,000 a year and your EFC is ,000, your need at that college is ,000. If you are looking at a college that costs ,000 a year your EFC is still ,000. Your need at this college is ,000.

Merit-based aid includes scholarships typically for students who have good grades or have some other special talent such as athletic or musical talent. Most highly selective colleges offer little or no merit-based aid.

Finally, in looking at colleges you should ignore the cost of the college. Yes, you read that right. Ignore the stated cost of the college when you are first deciding which colleges to investigate further. You will see why later in this article.

So now you know the basics. Now comes the fun part: How to save money by asking the right questions.

Questions to ask the colleges

Question 1- What percent of my need do you meet?

Remember that EFC, or expected family contribution that the FAFSA determined? Some colleges will meet 100% of your need. Need again is defined as the cost of the college minus your EFC. So what does it mean if a college says they will meet 100% of your need? It means that once the FAFSA or Profile form has determined how much you can pay for college, the college will pay 100% of the rest of the bill.

Colleges will typically meet the need you have using a combination of grants, loans and work study. Most colleges will award work study and loans first and if there is a need after that, the remaining need will be supplied by grants. The colleges will typically have a standard loan and work study amount that they award and you should ask about what these numbers are when investigating the college.

Let’s see an example of a financial aid award from a college that provides 100% of need with a student who has an EFC of ,000.

Total cost of college ,000

Expected family contribution $ 5,000

Need ,000

Financial aid award

Work study $ 2,000

Loans $ 4,000

Grants $ 29,000

At a college that meets 100% of your need you pay ,000.

But what happens if the college doesn’t meet 100% of need?

Many less selective colleges don’t pay the total amount of need that their students have. Let’s use the example of our imaginary college from above only this time assume that the school only provides 90% of need.

Total cost of college ,000

Families expected contribution $ 5,000

Need ,000

This college only provides 90% of the ,000 need or ,500. Thus, your out of pocket expenses are the ,000 EFC plus an additional ,500 for a total cost of ,500.

This example makes it easy to see why a school that meets 100% of need is often a better financial aid “deal” than a school who doesn’t meet all of the families need.

Many of the most expensive private colleges meet 100% of the students need while cheaper public colleges usually meet less than 100% of the need. This means that for many students it can be cheaper to go to an expensive private college than to attend a cheaper state school. Until you know what percent of need the college meets, don’t eliminate a college from consideration just because it is expensive.

Question 2- Do you have merit based aid?

Many colleges that don’t meet 100% of a students need do offer scholarships for some students. If your student is near the top of the application pool for a less selective college they may get some money if they qualify for merit based aid. Thus, in some cases, if the student is willing to look at a less selective college, they may get a better financial aid package. Here are some questions you should ask if the college provides merit aid.

How many merit awards are available?

What is the value of the merit awards available?

What are the qualifications to receive one of these merit awards?

This works even for families that don’t qualify for need based aid at all. If your student can qualify for a merit based award you won’t need to pay the full stated cost of the college.

Question 3- How is financial aid determined after the first year?

Some colleges have a policy of providing good financial aid for the first year and then substantially reducing the grant aid in the following years while increasing the loans. You should ask the college in which you are interested how they determine financial aid after the first year and what the average loan is after the first year. While it is typical that the amount of loans will increase each year if the increase is substantial you will want to take that into consideration.

Question 4- What is the average loan amount at graduation of those students who have loans?

This question will give you the best indication of the amount of loans that this college requires compared to other colleges in which you may be interested. Although most students will have some loans when they graduate, you don’t want this amount to be any more than necessary.

Question 5- What is your policy regarding outside scholarships?

Most colleges will subtract money earned in outside scholarships from your financial aid package. Some colleges will reduce the loan burden by the amount of the scholarship, but other colleges will reduce your grant money. If the college reduces the amount of loans you have to take out that is a benefit to you. There is no benefit to you if the college reduces the grant aid.

Question 6- What is your packaging policy?

Most colleges give a financial aid package that includes grant money, loans and work study. But each college combines this money differently. Specifically you want to know:

What percentage of an aid package from your college is grant vs. self-help (loans, work study)?

The greater amount of grants versus loans and work study the better for the student.

Do you have a preferential packaging policy?

Preferential packaging occurs when a college gives a better financial aid package to a student with a stronger academic background than to another student with the same financial need but with a weaker academic background..

Question 7- What is your four year graduation rate?

What difference does a college’s four year graduation rate make? This is an important question that many people never consider. Another way to phrase this is, How many years of college am I going to have to pay for? If the college has a high four year graduation rate, you will most likely only have to pay for four years of college. However, if the college graduates most students in six years then you can plan on paying for six years of college, not four.

Conclusion

Now that you know something about financial aid, including the questions to ask each college you are considering, you can make an informed decision in paying for a college education and hopefully also save some money.

Are you in need of funds to finance your child’s college education? Have you been hunting for days for a kind hearted lender who can provide your child with the quick student loans he needs to enter college? Are you currently holding a bad credit record with lenders? I have four words for you – You Are Not Alone! I meant to say this to encourage you. Many parents are feeling the same way as you do. Parents always want the best for their child and this include a good education. Good thing even with bad credit you can get the student financial aid loans you need to fund your college education.

What are student loans and why do parents and students resolve to this kind of loans?

A student loan or student financial aid loans are primarily intended to assist students pay for university tuition, books, and living expenditures. It varies from other types of loans. Generally, the interest rate is notably lower and the repayment schedule is postponed while the student is still enrolled in school. With that said, student loans are indeed beneficial for many students.

How to get student financial aid even with bad credit:

True enough, no one wants to lend money to a person with bad credit record. Nonetheless, this trend is adapting and financial institutions are now offering loans to people even with bad credit records.

It doesn’t matter if your credit is bad, your child can still go to college and achieve his dreams. Federal Stafford Loans, Perkins Loans, other non-credit based government loans thankfully are available to help student acquire the loans they need to enter college even with bad credit record.

Federal Stafford Loans

The federal Stafford Loan has two types: subsidized and unsubsidized. These two does not require the borrower to have the perfect credit record. It is true that it doesn’t matter how clean or dirty your credit record is. That is why many students opt for this financial solution.

The difference between subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford Loan is that the former is awarded to financially needy students. If the students were able to qualify, the federal government is the one responsible for paying the interest due periodically while the student is in school and for the six month allowance between graduation and repayment. The latter, on the other hand is accessible for all students at any case. The main dilemma here is when the student depend on this loan solely. Since they depend on it solely, students in the long run acquire multiple student loans, which pose a significant concern in their future credit problems.

Perkins Loans

Perkins loans offer low-interest loans to help needy students fund for their postsecondary education. In a ten-year repayment period, this type of loan holds a fixed interest rate of 5%. The Perkins Loan Program has a nine-month moratorium, so that students could begin repayment in the tenth month upon finishing their degree.

Non-Credit Based Government Loans

Private student loans are intended to make up for federal student loans. But not replacing the latter. Since many students, feel that federal loans aren’t sufficient to cover the entire college expenses. Commonly, this is what students choose to obtain in order to sustain their college education.

In summary, if you want your child to go to college but money issues are holding you down. Fortunately, there are now a great selection of student financial aid loans that you can choose from. But before you apply, learn the terms and conditions of such financial solutions before signing up for the student loans application.

The best time to start getting information about bad credit student loans and student loan consolidation is your junior year in high school. In order to determine the exact amount of the loan that you would require, you should research thoroughly on the various available schools, and also on the courses in which you are interested. You need to properly plan out your bad credit student loan so as to obtain it easily. A bad credit student loan is particularly helpful when the universities require the students to pay the tuition fees immediately.

Many students are not able to pay for their education, and thus they need student loans. Students with a bad credit can also need bad credit student loans. However, the main disadvantage of bad credit student loans is that a higher rate of interest has to be paid on them. Thus, you must collect a lot of information about the student loans before applying for one.

Students who are looking for a bad credit student loan should pick three schools they are most interested in, talk to the admissions office, and ask what is needed to apply in their school.

A bad credit student loan is payable only after the student has completed his or her education, and has started earning a certain minimum amount. Since April 2005, the minimum amount that the candidate of the bad credit student loan is required to earn has also increased. Bad credit student loans are available as both secured and unsecured loans, depending on whether you are a homeowner or not. The rate of interest to be paid on unsecured bad credit student loans is higher than that on secured bad credit student loans. This is because the secured bad credit student loans are backed by your home as a security.

Why Should I Consider Student Loan Consolidation Now?

Student loan consolidation can have many benefits for the career minded student. Many students don’t have thousands of dollars to pay their way through college.

This is why many college students use student loans to get themselves through college. When it comes time to pay back their student loans, it can be a real burden and a distraction from their career.

You should know how to get the best student loan consolidation rate and plan for your credit situation.

What Is Student Loan Consolidation?

When a student first applied for several student loans from several different agencies and student loan providers, they each gave a different interest rate and term for paying back the loans. The idea of student loan consolidation, is to take all the different student loans and put them into one easy convenient loan. You then only have to make one monthly loan payment every month, instead of several loan payments every month over time. Having less checks to write every month is just one benefit of doing a loan consolidation.

The loan rates offered will be based on your financial situation and credit. With a FICO credit score under 600, it can be a challenge to get good rates and plans.

3 Benefits You Can Get With Student Loan Consolidation

1. Lower Monthly Payments. Depending on your credit situation and the type of lender you choose, you may be able to lower your monthly payments by up to 50%

2. Having Fixed Interest Rates. With some federal consolidation loans you can have a fixed rate for the life of your student loan. You can check online to calculate the interest rate on a new student loan consolidation based on the rates of your current student loans.

3. Extending Your Payment Period. You may have a lot of student loan debt. With federal consolidation loans you may be able to extend the payment term up to 30 years. It’s a good idea to realize you will end up paying more interest over the life of your student loan consolidation. The idea is to get some leverage until your career takes off.

Online Resources To Help With Bad Credit Student Loans And Student Loan Consolidation?

With today’s Internet resources, you have an advantage when looking for bad credit student loans and consolidation of your student loans. If you take the time now to do research on the process of getting a bad credit student loan or consolidation , you may be able to avoid some of the hassles of getting approved.

There are many websites with services that can help to make it easier to see if you can qualify. These sites have many tools and information to help you get the best interest rates available for your credit situation.

There are various sources of easy scholarships for college awarded to students each year – probably more than you realize. The trick in finding these opportunities is understanding each type of scholarship and whether you’re eligible for them. While wading through countless resources may seem a daunting task, if you’re serious about finding legitimate ways to fund your college education, the task of learning about various opportunities can be well worth it.

College Scholarships

Many colleges offer monetary awards for their specific college. If you know which schools you’d like to attend, it may be to your benefit to find out whether those schools offer school-specific scholarships as part of your financial aid package. Schools that do offer specific scholarships to students of their college typically include requirements the student must maintain in order to remain eligible for the money.

For example, many colleges require students receiving scholarship money from them to maintain a certain GPA, pursue a defined course of study, or other specific academic requirements. Not every college offers school-specific scholarship awards however, so it’s a good idea to do your research beforehand so you won’t end up disappointed.

Athletic Scholarships

These types of scholarships seem to be less talked about than the majority of monetary awards, but that doesn’t necessarily make them any less viable. It used to be that students who didn’t excel academically, but were amazing when it came to athletics, believed they could fund their college education on an athletic scholarship alone.

These days however, that’s simply not the case. It’s not impossible to receive an athletic scholarship for your hard work on the field, but these scholarship awards are highly competitive. If you excel athletically, it’s a good idea to research the school or schools you’re interested in attending to see if they offer athletic scholarships to promising athletes. You’ll also want to look into the process of applying for an athletic scholarship so you know what’s involved.

Academic Scholarships

These awards are often college-specific as well, and are awarded to outstanding students who excel academically. Because they are merit-based, academic scholarships are also highly competitive. While you may have to apply separately for these types of awards, oftentimes an academic scholarship is included with your financial aid package from the school if you show academic excellence in one field or another.

Different departments of various colleges may also have specific scholarships available to students pursuing a specific course of study within that department. If you already know what you plan to major in, it would be a good idea to contact the school you’re interested in attending and see if they offer easy scholarships specific to students in your course of study.

Private Organizations

These organizations are not affiliated with any specific school, and awards from these types range from small monetary awards to ,000 or more depending on the specific organization. These scholarships require a good deal of research to determine whether the opportunity is legitimate, and may have specific requirements for applying.

Various corporations may offer scholarships to students who are interested in pursuing a major within that specific business’ field. These scholarships may be a bit difficult to find, but they are out there. Check with your parents’ employers to see if they offer any sort of scholarship program to prospective students. These scholarships often have less competition, so your chances of obtaining funding this way are greater than they would be otherwise.

Religious groups oftentimes offer scholarships to students who are involved with the church or specific religious organization. If you belong to a religious group, check to see if they offer monetary awards for people interested in attending college. Not every religious organization offers these awards, but you may be surprised at what you discover.

High schools almost always have scholarship opportunities available to students. Check with your guidance counselor and find out which scholarships you may be eligible for. The sooner you begin researching your various scholarship options, the better chances you’ll have of securing funding for at least a portion of your college education.

You may also considering checking with your local Chamber of Commerce for various scholarship opportunities that may be available within your community. They’ll have plenty of information available about the different business’ that may offer scholarships, and will be able to direct you to the appropriate source for your inquiry.

Finally, there are still many other organizations that offer scholarships to students from all walks of life. The “other” category is where you’re apt to find the most opportunities available. Check online at reputable scholarship websites to see if you’re eligible for any, and what requirements these groups may have. You never know what you may find once you start researching your various options for easy scholarships..

Of course, the Military is always an excellent option for students who are interested in receiving scholarship money for college. Of course, Military scholarships require students to perform an active tour of duty, and you MUST be willing and able to comply with the requirements in order to receive your scholarship. Most branches will even pay your entire college tuition, depending on which branch you serve and what you’re planning to study.
If serving in the Military coincides with your educational goals, you may want to check out which scholarships are available and the requirements for obtaining one. However, be sure that you’re going to be able to follow through with the requirements, because once you’re in – you’re in.

There are countless ways to help cover the costs of your college education, and various  easy scholarships await you. All you need to do is put in a bit of time and effort to locate those scholarship opportunities that you’re eligible for, and make sure you comply with the requirements exactly. Applying for college is a daunting task, but if you are serious about furthering your education and need help covering the costs, scholarships are a viable way of earning your degree without having to go broke doing it.

The rising of education cost makes college education become more and more expensive; especially in today’s bad economy situation where students are hardly get a loan to finance their study. It may stop some of students from pursuing a higher education due to unaffordable education cost. Thanks to the available of online education that makes college education more affordable and becomes a better option for students to earn a degree online.

According to college education & funding survey reports found, the results show that college tuition fees have increased by over 400 percent from year 1982 to 2007 while households’ income rose below 150%. Situation may become worse following the bad economy that leads to a recession, which may put higher education out of the reach for most students. An alternative education option is needed and online education is the solution, it makes college education more affordable.

Online education has been around for years providing an alternative option for students for earning their degree. Online degrees have been wisely accepted in job market, most online students have no problem to use their online degree to start their career or find a job. During economy up-time, online education is an alternative; students can choose to pursue their degree either online or at a brick-and-mortar university. However, when comes to a recession, the education cost is the key consideration factor for many students, online education become a great option for students to pursue a degree at an affordable cost.

Online education saves cost in a variety of ways. Most of learning materials are in downloadable format, helping students to reduce the cost needed in purchasing printed books and references. Students don’t need to travel back and forth the campus by attending classes online through internet connection, saving them time and money on transportation. For students who take the traditional path to earn their degree at the brick-and-mortar university, they may need to relocate to the area near the school if they leave far away. The relocation cost can be saved if they choose the alternative education option and earning their degree online. With online education, distance does not matter, any school that offers online degree programs can be reached at a mouse click.

Generally, the tuition fee for online degree is cheaper than the same degree cost in campus-based school. Since most of teaching materials are in online format and the classes are done through the online learning system which does not require physical classroom setting, most schools are afforded to offer the online degree in cheaper way without scarifying the teaching quality. Online education provides a more affordable channel for students to pursue a degree from their computer through internet connection.

Summary

The education cost has risen 3 times faster that the household’s income, stopping more students from pursuing higher education due to unaffordable education cost. The online education helps to reduce the total cost in the ways of reducing some major expenses, making it a more affordable education option, meeting the tight budget for many students in the time of recession.

The current economic crisis may have students and families thinking that a college education is out of grasp. But before you give up on your plans to pursue a college education consider the following strategies:

1) Develop A College Funding Plan— College planning really is a family undertaking. Families should be having open and honest discussions about college plans, career interests, what the parents can reasonably contribute to college expenses and what contribution the child may be expected to make starting when their child is a high school junior. Make it clear if the child is expected to work during the summer and/or school year to pay for college or take out student loans. Will the parents be willing to assist in the repayment of those student loans? Revisit the plan annually or as circumstances change. This is particularly important in an economic environment such as we are experiencing now.

2) Meet & Greet with the Financial Aid Director—When there is a sudden change in the family’s financial situation, such as a loss of a job, foreclosure or bankruptcy, the family should make an appointment with the Financial Aid Director or Associate/Assistant Director ( the decision makers) at the college the child will be/is attending. Financial Aid Administrators have the ability to make professional judgment adjustments with documentation, which will take in to account these circumstances. Often this provides the student additional financial aid or makes a student eligible for aid who may not have originally qualified. I have many times used professional judgment for such circumstances, as a Director of Financial Aid. In the case of a job loss the family would need to provide a copy of the layoff letter and provide a copy of any anticipated unemployment benefits. When a family has experienced a foreclosure, the family would also need to provide documentation showing the foreclosure.

3) Consider Attending College In-State— Families struggling with finances whose child was planning to attend an out –of- state college, may want to work with their child to find a college that is in -state and within commuting distance, thus saving on room and board costs.

4) Strike A Deal With Your Child— In cases where the child is really determined to attend his or her first choice college, I have known parents who have worked out agreements, where the parents will pay for the tuition and require the student to take on the responsibility of paying for room and board, through financial aid, scholarship and part-time jobs. Many colleges have student employment offices that assist students in finding on-campus and off-campus employment, in addition to work-study jobs that students may be awarded as part of their financial aid package.

5) Go Public—Another option is attending a state college or university for the undergraduate degree. This is a particularly savvy financial move, when a student intends to pursue a graduate degree. Here again parents and the child may work out a plan where the parents pay for a bachelor’s degree at a state college and the child pays for the graduate degree. Keep in mind that community colleges are a great bargain and the credits are generally transferrable to a 4 year public or private college.

6) Adopt A State —Thinking of attending an out-of-state public college? If you establish legal residency in your “adopted” state by registering to vote or getting a driver’s license, you could qualify for in-state tuition. Find out from the financial aid office the in-state residency requirement to get the in-state tuition rates. Generally you need to live in the state for 6 or 12 months prior to qualifying for in-state rates. This requirement is differs in each state.

7) Read Your Employee Handbook— If a student plans to pursue a graduate degree part-time while working fulltime, a good way to fund it would be through the student’s employer. Most employers will pay for courses that relate to the employee’s career. So if you work in accounting and want to earn an MBA or pursue CPA certification, the employer would generally assist with those courses. Some employers will pay for other courses, but at a reduced rate. Most employer education benefits are paid as reimbursements once you successfully complete the class. So you would need to come up with the tuition at the beginning of the semester. Applying for a Federal Stafford Loan would be the best choice, if you did not have the funds up front. You would be reimbursed once you submit an official copy of you course grade. Check with the HR department at your company for specifics on the company’s program.

Make It a Family Affair— In some families, grandparents (or other relatives) have stepped up and assisted children with some of the college costs. I would counsel relatives in this situation to consult with their financial planner or tax consultant before pursuing this option to minimize tax liability.

9) Go Virtual— Students may also be able to reduce college costs by taking some of their courses online. Many private and public colleges are offering online courses and degree programs. In Massachusetts, the state colleges offer a variety of courses through Massachusetts Colleges Online at www.mco.org. These courses can be used towards a degree not only at Massachusetts state colleges and universities, they may be transferrable to private colleges or out-of-state public colleges. As with any transfer courses, students should check with the Registrar at the college to which they would like to transfer the credit to ensure that it would be accepted, before signing up for the course.

10) Search Out Discounted Tuition— New Englanders should look into the Tuition Break program through the New England Board of Higher Education. Through this program,for example, Massachusetts students are eligible for reduced tuition at out- of -state New England state colleges and universities in 250 approved programs. These are degree programs that are not available at Massachusetts public colleges. The NEBHE website, www.nebhe,org, has a FAQ page and a list of all programs that each New England states’ residents are eligible to attend at discounted rates at the other regional state colleges. These rates are discounts on the out- state- tuition rates that would otherwise be charged. The NEBHE site states that students who have used this program have saved on average $7,000 annually.

11) Take A Sibling to College— If two or more family members attend the same college ( siblings, spouses, or parent & child) some private colleges offer family discounts for each additional family member that are enrolled in the college. Check the catalogue or with the Bursar’s Office on campus.

12) Consider A Career (Or At Least A Job) In Education— One of the advantages of working for a college is that they provide educational benefits not only for employees but for employees’ dependents (spouses & children). So if you or your child is considering attending a local college, consider a job change.