This booklet describes the Texas Prepaid Higher Education Tuition Program, known as the Texas Tomorrow Fund. The fund allows parents or others wishing to finance a child's education to prepay tuition and required fees as a condition of enrollment for 1 to 4 years of education at Texas colleges and universities. It can also give a student a big…

This handbook shows how families in various income groups manage to pay for college. The handbook is based on the real experiences of a large number of actual families, as described by national surveys. To find out exactly what it would cost to attend a particular college, the student would have to apply for financial aid, but this guide gives…

The Direct PLUS Loan is one of the low-interest loans provided by the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program. The U.S. Department of Education delivers loan proceeds through the student's school, and parents are responsible for repaying the Department. This booklet answers parents' questions about the loan program, including: (1) Am I…

This guide to financial aid programs provides Minnesota students with information on types of aid, qualifications, and how to apply. In the first section, "What is Financial Aid," the guide focuses on the purpose of financial aid, the different sources of financial aid, and how to qualify for aid. The second section, "How Do I Apply for Financial…

With many of today's high school students having the opportunity to be the first in their families to attend college, parents undoubtedly feel the stress of making sure that their son/daughter is fully prepared to enter this phase of their life. Making the transition from high school to college can be overwhelming for both parents and students.…

There are numerous financial planning and money management handbooks, but few focus on the needs of young adults between 16 and 25 years of age. Colleges and some high schools are increasingly offering courses covering money management, but the materials are more "economics-focused" than "real-world" focused. Young people are huge consumers who…

This guide explains how to make the most of scholarships, financial aid, and savings, and it reveals lesser-known ways to augment these common resources. The guide is especially useful to families with too much income to qualify for need-based aid, and not enough to pay high tuition rates. The chapters are: (1) "The Three Elements of College…

This fact sheet, an update of a report published in 1987, provides an overview of the financial aid system for postsecondary education. It covers the various types of financial aid, the technical words and phrases used to discuss it, and the process involved in its disbursement. The fact sheet discusses the roles and responsibilities of those who…

This resource paper on financial aid for postsecondary education covers various types of financial aid (grants, loans, and employment); the technical words and phrases used to discuss it (such as "financial need,""family contribution," and "financial aid package"); and the process involved in its disbursement. Particular attention is given to…

This guide provides the basic facts about subsidized Federal Direct Stafford/Ford Loans (Direct Subsidized Loans) and Federal Direct Unsubsidized Staff/Ford Loans (Direct Unsubsidized Loans) and explains the borrower's rights and responsibilities. It contains tips to help the borrower develop a budget for managing education expenses and financial…

This document is a user-friendly student workbook which teaches students how to save money so that they will be able to afford college. It guides six fictional students through chapters about how to earn, save, and budget their money. It makes the connection between having college as a goal, preparing for it financially over the long term, and…

This guide provides support and information for parents whose children are considering or preparing for college. Secondary school preparation, career discernment, college application procedures, admissions tests, financial aid, savings and investment suggestions, student life, "empty nest" concerns, and student health and safety are discussed.

Since the early 1980s, college tuitions have soared, and state and federal governments have sought new ways to help students and families meet the costs of attendance. Annual state and federal appropriations to traditional student aid programs have more than doubled in the past two decades. In addition, the federal government created the Hope…

This directory lists over 1,200 merit and other no-need funding and scholarship programs open to students in college and students returning to college for their higher education in the United States. The programs are classified according to course of study in the sciences, social sciences, humanities, or any subject area. Programs reward…

This booklet is designed to help prospective college students and their parents estimate college expenses, understand the financial aid process, become educated consumers of financing alternatives, and manage the repayment of education loans. It provides worksheets on how to figure direct and indirect college costs and how to save for college,…