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Ways To Pay For Your College Education
1. Ways to Pay for Your College Education
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2. Table Of Contents:
- Ways to Pay for Your College Education
- Higher Education: Finding The Right College For You
- Get A College Education At An Online University
- Resources
Ways to Pay for Your College Education
Many of us dream of obtaining a higher education in order to fulfill
our dreams; however the financial reality is that obtaining a college
education can be difficult.
While there are myths commonly circulating that there are a number
of scholarships available to help defray the costs of college, the truth
is that while you may be eligible for one or more scholarships these
generally won’t cover the entire cost of your education.
Even in the event that you obtain a full ride scholarship covering the
duration of your college there are other expenses that won’t be
covered. Therefore, it is imperative to look at all the ways you can
utilize to fund your college education.
It’s always a good idea to begin exploring financial aid as quickly as possible. Depending on your
parent’s income you may or may not be eligible for federal financial aid; however, you never know
unless you try.
As soon as your parents have their income tax return information it is important to go ahead and fill
out your FAFSA application and get it into the system. If you are eligible for financial aid you may
qualify for grants, which do not have to be repaid once you graduate.
You should also begin exploring various scholarships for which you might qualify and start getting
the applications filled out. Ideally, you should start this as soon as you begin your senior year
because some deadlines may arrive sooner than others.
While most people would prefer not to end their college education by being in debt the reality is
3. that it may be quite necessary, particularly if you are attending a private college or you plan on
completing post-graduate work. When it comes to student loans, there are a number of options.
One such option is a federal student loan. This type of loan has a number of advantages, including
lower interest rates and being able to defer the loan until after you graduate. A federal student loan
can be either subsidized or unsubsidized.
If the loan is subsidized then the government will cover the interest on the loan until about six
months after you graduate, at which time you become responsible for the loan.
An unsubsidized loan is not covered for the interest and you may need to pick up the tab for the
interest before graduation. The amount of money you can borrow with either type of loan varies
based on how far you are in school and whether you live at home or independently. Federal student
loans are not based on income or credit guidelines.
Another option would be to take out a private student loan. You will be susceptible to credit and
income guidelines with this type of loan and there may also be maximum loan amounts that apply
as well.
In addition, interest rates may be higher and repayment terms may not be as flexible as with a
federal student loan. Still, if funds from other sources including federal student loans are not enough
to cover all of your education costs, a private student loan may be a good option.
Higher Education: Finding The Right College For You
If you are approaching the end of high school and are
ready to begin investigating colleges, there are several
factors to consider before deciding what college is right
for you.
Whether you want to study medicine or painting,
accounting or physical education, there are hundreds of
colleges to choose from, each with their own specialized
programs of study.
Narrowing down your options can be a challenging task, but it is important to make an informed
choice about where to continue your education.
When you are deciding which schools to which you would like to apply, you should first assess
your chances of being accepted. If you are a C student with average test scores and no extra-curricular
activities, you might not want to put all of your application eggs in one Ivy League
basket.
However, if you can afford to, you should always apply to the school of your dreams on the off
chance that it just might come through for you. If you don’t try, you will never know whether or not
you could have gotten in.
If you have made straight A’s throughout high school, have high SAT and ACT test scores and have
participated in a wide variety of activities, you have high chances of getting into any school of your
4. choice.
Even if you have very limited finances to work with, you should still apply to your top choices. If
you are accepted, you may be able to receive scholarships and financial aid, and you always have
the option to take out student loans.
When it comes down to narrowing your choices, size is a very important thing to consider. Some
people like extremely large universities with tens of thousands of students. However, others enjoy
the comfort of a small campus with as few as several hundred students.
There are also a variety of colleges that lie in between these two options. Though it is hard to know
before you get there, you probably have a good idea of your general preferences regarding school
size, and this will help you focus your search.
You should also consider whether you would like to go to a private or a public school. Private
schools are typically more expensive, but some are also more prestigious. Private religiously-based
schools are also an option. Virtually every faith runs at least on college in the United States, and
most have several to choose from.
If you would rather stick to secular schooling, state-supported schools are often your best financial
deal. These schools receive support from the government, in addition to private funding, so they are
typically less expensive and more able to offer larger financial aid packages.
Location is also an important factor to consider when you are choosing a college. Think about how
close or how far away you would like to be from where you grew up. If you want to be within a
day’s drive of home, consider local and regional schools.
However, if you are looking for a cross-country adventure, you might consider schools in far away
states or even consider studying abroad. Some fields of study are better suited to certain geographic
locations, as well. For instance, artists can get a real-life education in New York City, whereas
actors might consider schooling in California.
If marine biology is your chosen field of study, a college with an aquatic location would obviously
be the best choice. Geologists often flock to the southwest, and environmentalists often seek
education in the northeast. You should consider both personal your climate preferences and your
career goals when you are choosing a college location.
Though choosing a college can be stressful, it can also be fun. Remember that college is just the
first step on your professional journey, and you will most likely change majors, interests, and
possibly even change colleges before you finish your undergraduate degree.
So, make a wise and informed choice with the knowledge that you will probably change your mind
several times before it is all said and done.
Get A College Education At An Online University
5. Are you a working professional who would like to pursue a
degree but don’t have enough time to devote to attending
classes?
Are you a person who would like to pursue higher
education but you do not have the funds required for the
courses?
Then an online degree from a recognized university is the
right choice for you. There are many universities all
around the world who offer online degrees to individuals in
various fields such as management, architectural courses, hospitality, health, medicine, transcription
etc.
These colleges provide the courses to students in addition to the classroom courses that they offer.
However there are many universities that carry on business solely through online courses or
distance education courses.
The major advantage of pursuing an online university course is that it proves to be a cheaper option
in comparison to courses that are offered in the classroom. Moreover the student can pursue the
course of a university that is situated at the other side of the globe. The student can complete the
course and appear for exams from the comforts of his home.
The course is completed by the student in the form of online tutorials, online lectures, performance
support systems and much more. Also, in many cases video conferencing is possible where
professors give lectures online in a classroom. Topics can be discussed with the professors in real
time and queries solved.
Online degree courses prove to be beneficial to the students as they provide more knowledge to the
students and also give the students a degree to add to their resume.
Online degree courses from reputable institutions are said to increase the career and job prospects of
the students pursuing the courses. Also study material can be sent to the student’s home in the form
of interactive CDRoms and ebooks.
Online degree courses can also be conducted in a Wide Area Network today known as WAN.
Students in a city are required to attend the lectures conducted thorough video conferencing using
collaborative and classroom management software.
Thus, e-learning proves to be effective for the student as the student can carry all his material
around wherever he wants on his PDA or his laptop.
Despite all the pros that I have discussed above for getting an online degree, it certainly has its cons.
People argue that the presence of a physical classroom where the teacher and the students interact
with each other is removed.
Also online degree courses assume less importance in comparison to full time university degrees.
Student’s queries are not solved in a short time as the presence of the teacher is missing.
However, as mentioned before, online lectures are made possible through video conferencing where
6. the students can indeed interact with their professors. The advanced use of technology has made
online degrees possible.
In spite of the cons, online degrees are being pursued by thousands of students all over the world
due to lower costs and flexibility in the timings of the lectures and examinations. Online discussion
boards are also set up for students and professors where the students can get their queries solved
and also discuss a variety of topics relevant to the degree.
In summary, we see that an online degree reduces a distance of 1000 miles or more between a
student and the university to just 5 minutes with the help of advanced technology and the internet. It
saves costs by potentially thousands of dollars.
It saves on your time of traveling to a university and attending classes and also provides you
flexible timings to pursue your studies. It provides a workable schedule to further your education
which normally would be impossible.
Obviously the increasing popularity of online degree courses admissions all around the world are
enough proof that the pros far outweigh the cons. Are you missing out?
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