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| The Lowdown on Financial Aid | |
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| What's Financial Aid All About? | |
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| Where's the Money Coming From? | |
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| Types of Financial Aid | |
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| Low-Interest Loans | |
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| Service-Learning Programs | |
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| Tips on Applying for Financial Aid | |
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| Watch for Fraud | |
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| Staking Out Your Financial Aid Claim | |
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| Eliminate Frustration: Do Your Research | |
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| Who Gets the Money? | |
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| Do You Need the Money? | |
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| What You're Expected to Pay | |
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| Is Your Kid Eligible? | |
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| Stepping into the Application Process | |
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| Dispelling Financial Aid Myths | |
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| Do You Need Help? | |
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| Other Sources of Money | |
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| Answers to All Your Financial Aid Questions | |
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| Why Does College Cost So Much? | |
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| How Much Money Goes Into Financial Aid Annually? | |
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| If I Apply, Will Strangers Pry Into My Personal Business? | |
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| Isn't Asking for Financial Aid the Same as Asking for Welfare? | |
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| Does Each College Have a Different Financial Aid System? | |
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| How Can I Get the Most Out of the System? | |
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| How Do I Know If I'm Eligible for Financial Aid? | |
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| Is My Kid Eligible for Special Aid? | |
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| Merit-Based Scholarship Myths | |
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| How to Be a Contender | |
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| How Many Aid Sources Should I Explore? | |
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| When Should I Submit Applications? | |
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| Where Can I Get More Information and Guidance? | |
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| When Should I Begin Planning for My Kid's Education? | |
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| How Can I Find Out If I Qualify for Assistance? | |
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| What Are the Alternatives to Federal Aid? | |
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| What's the Best Savings Plan? | |
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| What Are Tuition Stabilization Plans? | |
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| Who Can Help Me Get Through This Process? | |
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| Planning Is Everything | |
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| So, Kid, You Want to Go to College? | |
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| Minimum Course Work Required | |
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| Advice for High School Freshmen | |
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| Advice for High School Sophomores | |
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| Advice for High School Juniors | |
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| Advice for High School Seniors | |
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| Ten Financial Aid Tips | |
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| Where Do You Want to Go, Kid? | |
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| Choose Wisely, Kid | |
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| Start by Gathering Information | |
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| Look for Creative Payment Plans | |
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| Become a Wise Consumer | |
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| Selection Criteria | |
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| Some Do's and Don'ts | |
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| Online Applications | |
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| College Admissions Criteria | |
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| International Considerations | |
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| Selecting the Winner | |
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| Take the Tests | |
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| The Almighty Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT) | |
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| Preparing for the Test | |
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| What's Inside the SAT? | |
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| How Much Time Should You Spend on Each Question? | |
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| How Does SAT Scoring Work? | |
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| To Guess or Not to Guess | |
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| Practice Tests | |
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| How Test Scores Are Used | |
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| What's College Going to Cost? | |
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| Get All of the Facts | |
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| Get Colleges to Tell You What the Cost Is | |
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| Variable Costs | |
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| Other Costs | |
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| Breaking Down the Expenses | |
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| Homework for Your Kid | |
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| Develop a College Financial Plan | |
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| Getting Started | |
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| Putting It All Together | |
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| Choosing an Investment Program | |
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| Investing and Savings Options | |
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| Where to Invest | |
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| Seek and you Shall Find--Money | |
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| Grant Me a Grant | |
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| The Various Types of Grants | |
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| Federal Grant Programs | |
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| Five Ways to Begin Your Grant Search | |
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| Federal Grants | |
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| Making the Grant Process Work for You | |
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| Grant-Writing Tips | |
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| State Aid Programs | |
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| Overview of State Aid Programs | |
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| A Sampling of State Aid Programs | |
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| State Aid Offices | |
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| How Much Aid Comes from the States? | |
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| Types of Programs Administered by the States | |
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| The Non-Need Aid Trend | |
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| Where Do States Get Their Money? | |
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| State Guaranty Agencies | |
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| Special State Programs to Consider | |
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| Highlights of State Financial Aid Programs | |
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| Playing the Scholarship Game | |
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| Surfing the Web for Scholarships | |
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| Scholarship Programs for Minorities | |
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| How to Win a Scholarship | |
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| Can Average Students Get Scholarships? | |
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| Scholarship Scams | |
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| Fellowships | |
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| Private School Scholarships | |
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| Military and Veteran Scholarship Programs | |
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| Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC) Scholarships | |
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| Military Academy Scholarships | |
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| Military Financial Assistance Programs | |
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| Veterans Programs | |
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| Veterans Administration Centers | |
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| Publications | |
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| Minority and Other Special Programs | |
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| Financial Aid for Minority Students | |
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| Nontraditional Students | |
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| Financial Aid Programs for Women | |
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| Handicapped Students | |
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| A Sampling of Minority Aid Programs | |
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| Financial Aid Publications for Minority Students | |
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| Adult, Graduate, and International Programs | |
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| Adult Student Programs | |
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| Graduate Student Programs | |
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| International Student Programs | |
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| Support from Abroad Does Happen | |
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| International Student Loans | |
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| They May Want You | |
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| Employee Educational Assistance Packages (EAP) | |
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| Making It All Happen with an Action Plan | |
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| The Inside Scoop on Student Loans | |
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| Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans | |
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| Private Loans | |
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| Institutional Loans | |
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| Sallie Mae Loans | |
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| Applying for a Loan | |
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| What Happens When You Get a Loan? | |
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| How Are Loans Administered? | |
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| Finding the Right Lender | |
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| Comparing Loan Offers | |
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| Interest Rates and Fees | |
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| Loan Terms | |
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| Tax-Saving Strategies | |
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| Tax Credits | |
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| Tax-Exempt Bonds | |
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| Tax-Exempt Trust Accounts | |
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| College Sure CDs | |
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| Money Market Mutual Funds | |
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| Education IRAs | |
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| 529 IRA Plans | |
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| College Savings Plans | |
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| Financial Aid Consulting Services | |
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| How Much Do They Cost? | |
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| Who Are the Experts? | |
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| Who Are the Incompetents? | |
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| What to Expect from a Planning Meeting | |
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| Computer Search Services | |
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| From Applications to Offers | |
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| What's Inside a Financial Aid Package? | |
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| What You Should Know | |
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| Your Expected Contribution | |
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| Shop Before You Buy | |
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| Take Care of the Paperwork | |
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| What If They Require an Essay? | |
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| When Do You Get the Package? | |
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| The Award Letter | |
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| Decoding the Forms | |
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| Completing the FAFSA on the Web | |
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| Sending FAFSA to College | |
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| Line-by-Line Instructions for Completing the FAFSA | |
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| Mistakes You Don't Want to Make | |
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| Checklist for Filing the FAFSA | |
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| What Does an Offer Look Like? | |
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| Figuring Out Your Best Deal | |
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| What Does an Award Letter Look Like? | |
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| What If Your Application Is Rejected? | |
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| Check Your SAR | |
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| Don't Lose Aid Because You Won't Respond | |
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| Don't Get Rejected Because You Didn't Renew | |
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| Ask Your State for Help | |
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| Negotiating a Better Offer | |
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| Check Your Appeal Options | |
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| How to Negotiate for More Aid | |
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| Get the Facts | |
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| Compare Tuition Costs | |
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| Making Your Appeal | |
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| Okay, You're Accepted and You Have Aid: Now What? | |
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| Opportunities Are Everywhere | |
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| Continue to Get Good Grades | |
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| Look for Contest Money | |
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| Community Service Payoffs | |
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| Get an Inside Job | |
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| Find a Sponsor | |
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| Market Yourself | |
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| Employment Program Opportunities | |
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| Employer Tuition Plans | |
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| Cooperative Education | |
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| Get Help from Associates | |
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| Junior Fellowship Program | |
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| Other Sources of Aid | |
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| Cost-Cutting Strategies | |
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| The Three-Year Program | |
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| Take College Classes in High School | |
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| Go to a Community College First | |
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| Co-Op Your Way Through | |
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| Earn While You Learn | |
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| Challenge Classes | |
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| Innovative Tuition Plans | |
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| Wait Before You Buy Anything | |
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| Other Cost-Cutting Moneymaking Strategies | |
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| Appendixes | |
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| Glossary of Financial Aid Terms | |
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| Directory of General Financial Aid Resources | |
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| Associations Related to Financial Aid | |
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| Adult Financial Aid Programs | |
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| Athletic Scholarships | |
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| Budgeting | |
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| Career Guidance | |
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| College Admissions Requirements | |
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| College Financial Aid Directory | |
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| Community Colleges | |
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| Consulting Services | |
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| Directory of Colleges and Universities | |
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| FAFSA Form | |
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| FAFSA Online | |
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| Federal Financial Aid | |
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| Federal Financial Aid Regional Offices and Related Sites | |
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| Financial Aid Resources | |
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| Financial Planning | |
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| Frauds and Scams | |
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| Graduate and Professional Student Loans | |
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| Graduate Study Financial Aid Programs | |
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| Graduate Tests (GMAT, GRE, LSAT, MCAT) | |
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| Handicapped Students Assistance Programs | |
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| International Financial Aid Directory | |
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| Lenders of College Loans | |
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| Loan Consolidation and Forgiveness Programs | |
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| Loan Programs | |
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| Military and Veteran Programs | |
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| Minority Programs | |
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| Prepaid Tuition Programs | |
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| Private Tuition Payment Plans | |
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| Reference Books, Periodicals, and News Sources | |
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| Scholarships, Grants and Fellowships | |
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| Scholastic Aptitude Tests (SAT, PSAT, ACT) | |
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| Software for Financial Aid | |
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| Tax Deductions | |
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| Women's Financial Aid Publications | |
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| Work-Study and Co-Op Programs | |
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| Alphabetical State Financial Aid Listings | |
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| Alabama | |
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| Alaska | |
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| Arizona | |
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| Arkansas | |
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| California | |
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| Colorado | |
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| Connecticut | |
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| Delaware | |
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| District of Columbia | |
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| Florida | |
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| Georgia | |
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| Hawaii | |
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| Idaho | |
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| Illinois | |
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| Indiana | |
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| Iowa | |
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| Kansas | |
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| Kentucky | |
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| Louisiana | |
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| Maine | |
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| Maryland | |
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| Massachusetts | |
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| Michigan | |
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| Minnesota | |
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| Mississippi | |
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| Missouri | |
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| Montana | |
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| Nebraska | |
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| Nevada | |
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| New Hampshire | |
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| New Jersey | |
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| New Mexico | |
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| New York | |
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| North Carolina | |
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| North Dakota | |
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| Ohio | |
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| Oklahoma | |
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| Oregon | |
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| Pennsylvania | |
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| Rhode Island | |
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| South Carolina | |
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| South Dakota | |
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| Tennessee | |
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| Texas | |
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| Utah | |
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| Vermont | |
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| Virginia | |
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| Washington | |
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| West Virginia | |
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| Wisconsin | |
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| Wyoming | |
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| Index | |