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| Acknowledgments | |
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| Introduction | |
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| Early Financial Planning Strategies | |
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| Early Financial Planning Strategies | |
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| Estimating Future College Cost | |
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| Developing a Savings Plan | |
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| College Savings Plan Worksheet | |
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| Savings Tips | |
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| College Savings and Investment Plans | |
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| 529 State College Savings Plans | |
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| 529 State Prepaid Plans | |
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| Independent 529 Plan | |
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| Coverdell Education Savings Account | |
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| Custodial Accounts | |
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| Savings Bonds | |
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| Roth IRA | |
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| Taxable Accounts | |
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| Education Tax Credit | |
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| The Hope Scholarship (Tax Credit) | |
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| The Lifetime Learning Tax Credit | |
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| State Prepaid Tuition and/or State College Savings Plan | |
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| Some Tips for Maximizing Your Aid Eligibility | |
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| Tips | |
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| Collection of Additional Information by Colleges | |
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| The Real Cost of a College Education | |
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| The Real Cost of College | |
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| Affordability Facts | |
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| The Wide Range of College Options | |
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| Two-Year College Option | |
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| Tuition Charges at Public Colleges and Universities for Non-State Residents | |
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| Estimating the Sticker Price of a College | |
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| Sticker Price versus Net Price | |
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| Colleges' Concerns about Sticker Price | |
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| Financial Need Varies According to College Cost | |
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| Student Financial Aid: Myth and Reality | |
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| College Is Just Too Expensive for Our Family | |
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| There Is Less Aid Available Than There Used to Be | |
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| You Have to Be a Minority to Get Aid | |
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| My Parents' Income Is Too High to Qualify for Aid | |
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| The Financial Aid Form Is Too Hard to Fill Out | |
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| My Parents Saved for College, so We Won't Qualify | |
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| Only Students with Good Grades Get Financial Aid | |
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| If I Apply for a Loan, Then I Have to Take It | |
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| Working Will Hurt My Academic Success | |
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| I Should Live at Home to Cut Costs | |
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| Private Schools Are Out of Reach for My Family | |
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| Millions of Dollars in Scholarships Go Unused Every Year | |
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| My Folks Will Have to Sell Their Home | |
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| Student Aid Programs | |
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| Submitting Your Application: the FAFSA | |
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| Annual Submission | |
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| The FAFSA | |
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| Processing the FAFSA | |
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| What Happens After You Submit the Financial Aid Forms? | |
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| Federal Verification for Federal Student Aid Programs | |
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| Supplemental Aid | |
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| CSS/Profile Form | |
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| Institutional Aid Application | |
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| General State Residency Guidelines | |
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| Student Financial Aid Programs | |
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| Federal Student Aid | |
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| State Aid Programs | |
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| Other Ways to Save Tuition Dollars at Public Colleges | |
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| New England Regional Student Program (RSP) | |
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| Academic Common Market | |
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| Midwest Student Exchange Program | |
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| Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education | |
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| College-Sponsored Aid Programs | |
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| Athletic Money | |
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| National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) | |
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| National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) | |
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| Military Financial Assistance Opportunities | |
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| Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) | |
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| Montgomery GI Bill for Selected Reserve Training (MGIR-SR) | |
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| Tuition Assistance Top-Up Benefit | |
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| Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) | |
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| Health-Related Programs | |
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| United States Military Academies | |
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| College Loan Repayment Programs | |
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| College Fund Program | |
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| State Educational Assistance | |
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| Rotary International Scholarships | |
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| Ambassadorial Scholarships | |
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| Application Procedure | |
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| Aid for Students With Disabilities | |
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| Where to Look | |
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| Other Sources of Funds | |
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| College Planning Calendar, Middle School to High School Senior Year | |
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| Middle School | |
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| Grade 9: Freshman Year | |
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| Grade 10: Sophomore Year | |
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| Grade 11: Junior Year-Fall/Winter | |
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| Grade 11: Junior Year-Spring | |
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| Summer before Grade 12: Senior Year | |
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| Grade 12: Senior Year-Fall (September to December) | |
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| Grade 12: Senior Year-Winter (January to March) | |
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| Grade 12: Senior Year-Spring (April to May) | |
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| Summer Before College | |
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| Summary: Financial Aid Applications | |
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| November/December | |
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| January/February | |
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| Your Share of the Cost of a College Education | |
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| Federal Methodology | |
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| Institutional Methodology | |
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| Calculating the Expected Family Contribution Under federal Methodology | |
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| Principles of Need Analysis | |
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| Calculating the Expected Family Contribution | |
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| Financial Need Calculation | |
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| Simplified Need Analysis Formula | |
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| Dependent Students | |
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| Independent Students | |
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| Who Automatically Qualifies for a Zero EFC? | |
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| Independent Students | |
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| Who is Considered a Parent? | |
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| Definitions | |
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| Non-Custodial Parent | |
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| Home Schoolers and Federal Student Aid | |
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| Independent versus Dependent Status | |
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| Special Circumstances | |
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| Student Financial Aid Office and Award Notification Process | |
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| The Role of the College Student Financial Aid Office | |
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| Award Letter Notification | |
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| Determining Student Financial Need | |
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| Reviewing the Award Letter | |
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| Case Studies: How Aid Packages Will Differ | |
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| "Let's Make a Deal": Appealing the Aid Package | |
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| How Outside Private Scholarships Affect the Aid Package | |
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| How Will the Receipt of an Outside Scholarship Affect My Financial Aid Package? | |
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| Post-Enrollment Activity With The Financial Aid Office | |
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| Student Debt: An Investment in Your Future | |
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| Investment with a Return | |
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| What Is Reasonable Debt? | |
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| Tips for Borrowing | |
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| Incentives from Lenders | |
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| Loan Repayment Plans | |
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| Standard Repayment Loan Plan | |
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| Graduated Repayment Plan | |
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| Loan Consolidation Plans | |
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| Income Sensitive Plan | |
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| The Extended Repayment Plan | |
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| Other Financial Terms | |
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| Calculating Estimated Loan Repayments | |
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| Alternative Loan Programs | |
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| Websites and Telephone Numbers for the Private Student Loan Lenders | |
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| Controlling the Cost of a College Education | |
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| Cell Phones | |
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| Credit Cards | |
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| Leave the Car at Home | |
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| Purchasing School Supplies | |
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| Selecting the Right Meal Plan | |
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| Travel to and from College | |
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| Checking Accounts | |
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| Preventing Identity Theft | |
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| Three-Year BA/BS Programs | |
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| What Are the Benefits of Graduating in Three Years? | |
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| Advanced Placement/College Credit Courses | |
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| Some Other Tips | |
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| Options for Paying College Expenses | |
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| Loan Programs to Finance Parental Contribution and Unmet Need | |
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| Your Credit Score | |
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| Financing Options | |
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| College-Sponsored Payment And Loan Programs | |
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| Home Equity Lines of Credit/Home Equity Loans | |
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| Home Equity Line of Credit | |
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| Home Equity Loan | |
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| Federal Loan | |
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| Federal Plus Loan | |
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| Alternative Loans | |
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| Other Financing Options | |
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| Retirement/IRA Plans | |
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| Life Insurance Loans | |
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| Will Loans Impact the Student Aid Formula? | |
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| Consultants, Scholarship Search Companies and Other Resources | |
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| Financial Aid Consultants | |
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| Selling Points for Financial Aid Consulting Companies | |
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| Consultant Services | |
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| Guidelines to Consider Before Hiring a Consultant | |
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| Negative Experiences | |
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| Financial Aid Source Books | |
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| Scholarship Search Companies: Private Scholarships | |
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| Scholarship Assistance | |
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| Materials to Submit | |
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| Scholarship Letter Tips | |
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| How to Identify a Scholarship Scam Company | |
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| Internet Resources | |
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| Financial Aid Resources in Spanish | |
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| Websites | |
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| Sample of Publications and Aid Applications | |
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| Tips: College search and Financial Aid Process | |
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| High School First Steps | |
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| Understanding Tuition Costs | |
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| Applying for Student Financial Aid | |
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| Merit, Athletic, and Private Scholarship Opportunities | |
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| College Selection/Award Letter Process | |
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| Renewing Financial Aid/Individual College Policy | |
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| Student Loans | |
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| Cutting College Costs | |
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| Parents | |
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| Appendix | |
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| Glossary | |
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| Index | |