A comprehensive guide to the cost of a college education today and the ways colleges and other sources can help people meet that cost is presented. All accredited institutions in the United States and U.S. territories offering full 4- or 5-year baccalaureate degree programs are included except institutions with primarily part-time, correspondence, or external study. To be included, an institution must have full accreditation from or be a candidate for accreditation by an institution or specialized accrediting body recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and/or the Council on Postsecondary Accreditation. Four sections are as follows: (1) what to know about financial aid (discussing the place of financial aid in higher education and the complexities of estimating the family contribution and the resulting need, non-need aid, financial aid packages, and applying for various types of aid); (2) a glossary of related terms; (3) college costs and aid profiles (showing current expenses plus the details of the current financial aid program at each college); and (4) a listing of directories that group colleges by specific types of non-need awards and money-saving options they offer, making it easy to see which colleges offer which types of financial aid. Explanatory material on the arrangement and content of the data-based information in the profiles and directories is found at the beginning of each section. (SM)