Even if you saved all of the babysitting money you earned from the time you were 12, all of the tips you accrued delivering pizzas in high school, and every single check from every birthday card you have ever received, chances are, you’d still come up short when trying to pay your college tuition. Unfortunately, college is expensive even though it’s a critical step in advancing personally and professionally. Fortunately, there are ways for students to mitigate expenses related to higher education through college financial aid. The FAFSA, or Free Application For Student Financial Aid is the universal starting point in the Unites States when it comes to determining federal student aid eligibility. You can complete the application online by creating a PIN for electronic signing and document retrieval. The following information and documents are needed to fill out a FASFA:

1. Social Security Number
2. Driver’s license
3. Previous year’s records of money earned
4. Income Tax Returns from the previous year
5. Parents’ federal income tax return (For dependent students)
6. Untaxed income records (Ex.) Social Security, welfare, veterans benefit records)
7. Current bank statements
8. Investment records
9. Your alien registration or permanent resident card (if not born in the U.S.)

Once you file your FAFSA form, you will have a better understanding of what types of financial aid you qualify for at the federal level. There are various forms of financial aid available, aside from money you qualify for by completing your FAFSA form. The most popular being scholarships, grants, student loans and work-study programs.

Scholarships

Scholarships are a form of financial aid awarded to help ease the financial burden of college, though it often takes good old-fashioned hard work to land a substantial amount of money. Scholarships often require time and attention to detail in order to research the ones you qualify for, carefully fill out applications or write required essays and keep track of deadlines. The most common are merit-based, need-based or athletic, but you can also earn them by being affiliated with certain groups or if you have a special talent or skill-set. Many types of organizations provide financial aid to qualifying students, so you should acquaint yourself with the ones available through your high school, college, company, parent’s or relative’s work, and your local community to see what you might qualify for. You can also find these and more through college scholarship Web sites such as Fastweb.com. Additional information is also available at the U.S. Department of Education.

Grants

Grants are sometimes referred to as gift aid because unlike other forms of college financial aid, they don’t have to be repaid. Traditionally for undergraduate students, the gift amount is based on need as determined by information provided on the FAFSA, as well as the cost of attendance at the university the student is enrolled at. There are currently four federal gift aids available that undergraduate students can apply for:

1. Federal Pell: Pells are awarded by the Department of Education to low-income students and do not have to be repaid. These awards are typically given to first-year undergraduate students.
2. FSEOG- Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity: The FSEOG Program provides need-based aide to low-income undergraduate students to promote access to post-secondary education. There are approximately 4,000 participating postsecondary institutions who award this type federal financial aid.
3. TEACH- Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education: Through the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, Congress created the (TEACH) Grant Program that provides aide of up to $4,000 per year to students who intend to teach in a public or private elementary or secondary school that serves students from low-income families.
4. Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant: A student whose parent or guardian was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces and died as a result of service performed in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001 may be eligible to receive the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.

Loans

Loans are borrowed money and repayment with interest is required. Students apply for them in order to finance their education that they cannot cover upfront with money they’ve saved or through other non-repayable forms of financial aid. Students and parents are eligible to take out a loan to finance a student’s higher education. There are two broad types: 1) Federal as offered through the government and 2) Private are offered through the bank. There are 5 federal student aid types currently available, but the most common ones are:

1. Federal Perkins Loan: Students with exceptional financial need are awarded the Perkins. A school’s Financial Aid office determines the amount awarded to the qualified student. Then the school acts as the lender and distributes the government funds. The annual maximum allowed for an undergraduate and graduate student is $4,000 and $6,000, respectively. An undergraduate student is allowed to borrow up to $20,000 under the Perkins. If the student continues on to graduate school than the limit raises to the $40,000 maximum.
2. Federal Stafford Loan: Staffords can be subsidized or unsubsidized. The subsidized type means the government pays the interest while the student is enrolled in school. If it is unsubsidized than the student can pay interest while in school or may elect to defer the payment until after graduation. Regardless of need, all students are eligible for the unsubsidized Stafford Loan.

Keep in mind though, you or your parents can also apply for the PLUS for Parents, PLUS for Graduate and Professional Degree Students or the Consolidation Option, depending on your circumstance.

Private loans are offered by banks and credit unions across the US. When looking for this type of financial aid, it’s important to truly understand the terms of the loan, such as when your repayment period begins and what the interest rate will be. Especially in today’s economy, you need to pay special attention to how long the deferment period is in the event you don’t find a job right after college or if you lose your job suddenly.

Work Study

Many schools offer work-study programs as well, where you can earn money while attending school to help pay for your education expenses. You can find information about your school’s work study program usually on the College Financial Aid page of your school’s website, or you can visit the Financial Aid Office. Currently, there are about 3,400 institutions that participated in federal work-study programs.

Fortunately, those freshmen who’s parents didn’t leave them trust funds can still achieve their dream of higher education through various forms of financial aid for college students. It’s important to find the option or options that best suits your financial needs, and by exploring the options listed above, you’re off to a good start in financing your education expenses. If you have any tips for other students to secure the maximum amount of college financial aid, please leave a comment!

The class of 2011 is the most indebted class to date with an average of $22,900 in student loan debt upon graduation. Congratulations class of 2011, you’ll be paying that off for quite some time!  While no one can escape the fact that college is expensive, there are certainly things you can do to mitigate the costs.  One of the best things you can do right off the bat is to secure college student scholarship money.  Scholarships differ from loans in that they don’t have to be paid back upon graduation. Who doesn’t love free money? The answer is no one. That’s why, it takes hard work and dedication to secure scholarship money.

There certainly isn’t a lack of quantity of scholarships available, you just have to know where to look and be sure that you’re a good fit so you aren’t wasting your time. Most high schools award scholarships prior to attending college. Colleges award scholarships as well, as do private organizations. College student scholarships can be merit based, need based, interest based or cultural based – the list really is endless so it’s important to stay abreast of the different types, deadlines, amounts awarded, and where to locate them.

There are a few different places you can begin to look for scholarships. First, every college will have a catalog of scholarships available. Most commonly, this list can be found on your school’s website. You can also visit the Financial Aid Office for guidance on how to begin your search.

Also, believe it or not, in the age of the Internet, people still write books! Can you believe it? Two books to check out are The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2011: Billions of Dollars in Scholarships, Grants and Prizes by Gen and Kelly Tanabe and How To Go To College Almost For Free by Ben Kaplan. These two will guide you to college student scholarships that you’re qualified for and also provide tips for writing winning essays and how to avoid scams because unfortunately, they’re out there, and you don’t have time to waste!

Last, the Internet is your friend as long as you know the right places to look. For those of you who need a brush up on your reading comprehension skills, please see the last sentence in the previous paragraph. A great place to search for scholarships is Fastweb.com. The site claims to have 1.5 million worth of $3.4 billion scholarship dollars available. Chances are, you’ll qualify for at least a few! They also provide countless articles with helpful tips for earning scholarship money. So take a break from Facebook for an hour and see what’s out there. Your stomach will thank you after graduation when you can go out to dinner instead of eating ramen every night because you’re drowning in student loan debt.

To get started, here is a breakdown of the different categories of scholarships available to you. You can start to hone in on which ones you think you’d be the best fit for.

Academic Awards: These merit-based awards are often tied into your initial financial aid package offered by the college based on your GPA listed in your college application. To inquire about such awards, you can visit your school’s financial aid office or website.

Athletic Awards: Usually, you don’t apply for these. Scouts from colleges across the country seek out the best student athletes for athletic scholarships.

Department Awards: Specific departments such as Business or Biology may have scholarships available to attract, retain and award students studying in a specific field. Contact the department of your intended major to see what’s available.

Private Organization Awards: There are literally thousands of private organizations that offer scholarships that range from amounts under $100 to $20,000 plus. Fastweb is a good source for locating Private Organization Scholarship Awards.

Corporate Awards: Fortunately for you, these scholarships often go un-awarded due to lack of applicants. You can search for corporate scholarships by checking with your parents’ employers for possible programs and researching businesses in your region. You may have a greater chance of winning these kinds of scholarships because of the narrow applicant pool.

Religious Affiliated Awards: If you and your family are associated with a specific religious group, this is often a great place to check for scholarships. Religious groups sometimes award scholarship money to help their members afford the ever-increasing cost of college.

Union Affiliated Awards: To search for union sponsored scholarships, visit the AFL-CIO website.

High School/School District Awards: Visit your guidance counselor to get information on scholarships your school or district may be awarding. Your counselor can help provide direction to scholarships you might be a good fit for.

Community/Chamber of Commerce Awards: Besides offering their own scholarships, your local Chamber of Commerce can also direct you to businesses in your area that may be looking to award scholarships.

Military Awards: The Air Force ROTC program can pay up to full college tuition and often a stipend for books is included. Military scholarships are usually awarded in return for a tour of duty. You can visit www.students.gov as a jumping off point to search military scholarships including special veteran scholarships.

State and Federal Sources of Financial Aid Funds: The federal government provides on the upwards of $50 billion in grant aid to college students annually. Aid can come from Federal Pell Grants, Subsidized Stafford Loans, Federal Work Study and Perkins Loans among others. A great source of information on federal grant programs is www.fafsa.ed.gov.

The above is just a snapshot of the different categories of scholarships that are available. As mentioned before, FastWeb is one of the best sources of scholarships online, and chances are has a listing for just about any type of college student scholarship available. To access their complete database of college student scholarships, click here now. But before you get ready to apply, here are some helpful tips to making sure your time isn’t wasted and you have the best possible shot of locking in a scholarship:

1. Only apply if you are TRULY a good fit. Think about it, the committee awarding the scholarship is likely getting an overwhelming amount of scholarships applications. Think of it like a job application. You wouldn’t apply for a job as a neurosurgeon if you were an architect. Same applies to scholarships. Make sure you have a shot. After all, your time is money.
2. Fill out the application entirely.  Do not leave blanks. It looks sloppy and may discount your application. If something doesn’t apply to you, say that.
3. Read and follow directions. I repeat, read and follow directions.
4. If printing, make it neat. Your application needs to be legible to be considered!
5. Make your essay as personal as possible. The committee wants to know you! They read generic statements all the time. Stand out.
6. Accidents happen. Make photocopies of all your applications in case they get lost in the mail. The extra 10 minutes it takes to make a copy is nothing compared to the hour(s) it took you to get the application perfect in the first place.
7. Stay organized. Make a spreadsheet if you have to of all the important deadlines and addresses to send your applications. You can also keep track of status this way and sort by deadline so you can best prioritize.
8. Proof read. And while you’re at it, let a trusted friend or family member read as well. They may be able to provide an outside opinion that may improve your chances.
9. Proof read. Hey, I thought that was #8? Yes, proof read for content, but also proof read for spelling and grammar as well. One slip up could cost you.
10. Avoid scams. Don’t apply for any scholarships that ask you for money to apply.

There you have it, now it’s up to you to make it happen. Good luck in your quest for scholarship money. Let us know how you do! Remember, you can ALWAYS save on the cost of your college textbooks by renting textbooks online.

The average tuition cost at a public college for the 2009-2010 school year is just over $7,000. Going to a private school? That’ll cost you over $26,000.

Are your parents famous movie stars? Rock musicians? Inheritors of a large portion of the SPAM empire? Congratulations! You don’t have to worry about paying for your higher education. For the other 99% of us, finding money for college is one of the hardest things to do. That’s where scholarships can help.

But there are just so many essays you can write about how much you love community service and studying the mating habits of Panthera leo and Panthera tigris. If you’re looking for scholarships to apply for that use a bit more creativity (or in some cases, just being yourself), check out the following list.

For Those Who Mark Their Height Against The Wall…
From being able to reach the top shelf at the store to possibly dunking on your friends in a game of pickup basketball, being tall has its advantages. But did you know you don’t need to be athletic to earn money for college with your height? Tall Clubs International (“A Social Organization for Tall People!”) gives away up to $1,000 to men 6’2 and above and women 5’10 or taller. Just visit this site for all the details.

You didn’t think I was going to forget the vertically challenged out there, did you? The Little People of America also give out money for college to their members. All you need to do is be shorter than 4’10 and fill out this form. After all those years of having to put up with “Lollipop Guild” jokes, you can at least get a small amount of payback. No pun intended.

For Those Who Love Sheep…
I’m not talking about counting them during a quick study period nap. The yearly “Make It With Wool” scholarship competition dishes out cash to students that create their own woolen works of art. Don’t let the difficulty of this competition scare you off. Anything you make will most likely end up better than my entry last year: steel wool underwear. That was the most uncomfortable day of classes ever.

For Those Who Will Most Likely Change Their Name When Married…
If your last name happens to be “Zolp”, then I’ve got some free money for you. For the other 304 million of you in the US, no dice. The best part about the Zolp scholarship is that the stipulation that “Scholarship amounts will vary depending upon fund availability and the number of eligible recipients”. Really? How much would it suck if the one year you get the scholarship, the famous Zolp quintuplets of North Charleston show up at your college?

For Those Who Love Cows…
Don’t worry. This scholarship doesn’t require you to make leather goods or milk anything. The National Beef Ambassador Program provides up to $1,000 in scholarship money to students that give a presentation about beef nutrition or production to a panel of judges. If you win, not only do you get the scholarship money, but you will “have the opportunity to speak at designated engagements”. And everyone knows how crazy the infamous “Beef Lover World Tour” in ’86 was. I hear Bacon was the opener at select dates.

Don’t worry. If you thought that joke was lame, I’ve got plenty more coming up that are even worse.

For Those Who Know What I’m Going To Say Next…
The Excellence in Predicting the Future Award can net you up to $400 for college. But you already knew I was going to say that, didn’t you?

For Those Who Hate Leaving The Couch…
I’ve got one more for you. Hate having to work? Hate even having to move your mouse around too much? Do I have a scholarship for you! Valore Books gives away a Free Textbook Scholarship. All you have to do to enter? Just buy something from us and you’re automatically entered. Come on, we have books starting at one penny. You literally cannot have a cheaper price than that. Doing so would rip a hole in the time/space continuum. And you know what the outcome of that is? Zombies. Is that something you really want to be responsible for?

“Valore Books is the best place to buy and sell used textbooks. I mean…BRAAAAINS!!!”