College loan forgiveness?

If you've been keeping up on current events, you know there have been a lot of bail-outs lately. However, I'm not quite sure this is a good thing. I mean, what kind of example is Wall Street, the Government, and our leaders sending to the rest of us?  

Contrary to the example our leaders have set, as college students, we have to be more wise with our money. How?

1. Take a serious look at our current situation. Evaluate.

How much money, exactly, do we need to save, borrow, and earn to pay for college? The amount we borrow should be considered extremely carefully, as we'll have to pay this back over the long haul. We should keep borrowing to a minimum, and spend our time working more in the summer, trying to find scholarships or grants, and cutting spending to save money and put the saved amount toward school.

2. Cut Spending.

You may never have cut a coupon in your life, but trust me, they're worth it! Look for deals on groceries, books, supplies, furniture before you jump in and buy. Also, cutting back on going out one or two nights a week is not going to kill you. Have a roommate cooking night or movie night, you might just like the bonding. (You'll for sure like the extra money you keep in your pocket.)

3. Develop a plan for the future.

Did you know that about 70% of college students and their parents borrow large sums of money for college without estimating their future earnings? It seems kind of ridiculous when you think about it.  If you have tens of thousands of dollars in debt and you make only $30,000 a year, you're not going to pay that loan off any time soon (you have other expenses once you leave college, trust me). Before you take loans out on your future, consider the job you'll get once you graduate. How long, realistically, before you pay that loan off? If you want to be out of student debt in a certain amount of time, you need to plan ahead. Sometimes, that means you need to borrow less.

Now, you may already be in a situation where you've borrowed a ton of money and are regretting it. To you, I recommend you read this article: click here. This article explores the different programs and situations that help graduated students get out of debt. In some cases, loan forgiveness. 

Remember, paying for college requires a strategy. I hope these three common sense tips get you started. Have a great day!

New product: I am SO EXCITED!

I believe that everyone who wants to go to college should be able to go. Right now, many people do not attend college because they can't afford it.  Those that do go pile up debt in student loans and through consumer credit cards and leave college with a big financial hole to crawl out of.

I think this is a shame.

The biggest problem, I believe, is that researching, applying, and learning about your college options is overwhelming. There is simply too much information to sift through, and much of the valuable content is overlooked or not found. Plus, who wants to spend hours on end weaving through financial aid forms?

To help finance college, save you thousands of dollars, and relieve you of the time you need to spend researching this stuff, I've created a helpful starter-guide. In this 36-page e-book, I've compiled the top 12 college cost-saving strategies, all in one place. 

Here's the Table of Contents: 

Strategy 1: Choose Wisely.

• Students and parents will learn how to choose a school they’ll love

• The best online college matching services

• Why your school choice has little to do with your ultimate career success.

• How choosing the right school will save you money.

Strategy 2: Four Years or Less.

• Why the “recommended” amount of credits isn’t enough.

• How to get college credit, before you goto college

• How to avoid taking Freshman Composition (and save $900 in the meantime)

• Why good grades save you money.

Strategy 3: Compare Financial Aid Packages

• View sample financial aid packages from different colleges

• Learn about expected family contribution and why it’s important.

• Why knowing the difference between “Aid as Gift” and “Aid as Loan” is essential.

• Access to easy comparison tools.

Strategy 4: “Negotiate” Financial Aid Packages

• Explanation of the financial aid package appeal process.

• Types of appeals

• When to appeal and what you need to bring to ensure success.

Strategy 5: Find and Apply for College Scholarships

• Why scholarships are the ideal way to fund college

• Where to start searching for scholarships in “real-life.”

• How to start your online scholarship search

Strategy 6: Early Bird Catches the Worm

• Why you should apply early in the admissions process, but not necessarily early admission.

• Why you should send in your FAFSA as soon as you can after January 1st.

• How to maximize your FAFSA application to receive optimal aid.

Strategy 7: Get to Work, Save Money

• Why it’s important that college students work.

• Why future employers view working students more favorably.

• Where to find jobs appropriate for college students

• The top jobs for entrepreneurially-minded college students.

• When to start looking for summer employment

Strategy 8: Save on Extra Spending

• Why free t-shirts on campus aren’t a good thing.

• How to save on typical student entertainment costs.

• The best ways to save on textbooks (and how you can avoid buying them altogether without sacrificing your grades).

• Save money when you live off-campus

• 12 ways to go green and save money

Strategy 9: Good Grades=Good Deals

• Scholarships, grants, and deals available to top high school achievers.

• How good grades in college can pay off in unexpected big ways.

• The extra perks of earning good grades from free food to free electronics.

Strategy 10: Securing a Loan

• What you should know before you take on a loan.

• Where to compare loan rates and information

• A list of INTEREST-FREE loans. (No, I’m not kidding.)

• How to use loans wisely.

Strategy 11 and 11.5: College Pre-Pay and Deferred Payment

• What’s a 529-plan?

• 529-plan pros and cons.

• Pre-paid credits vs. savings and investment plans

• Options for those of you with unreliable cash-flow.

Strategy 12: Tuition Registries

• How to use social-networking to fund your tuition.

• Tips to increase the odds people will invest in you.

• Micro-sponsorships vs. micro-loans.

Plus! 5-page Internet Resource Guide
This five-page list of websites is the result of countless hours researching, reading, and surfing the internet for the best information on everything related to saving money on college and paying tuition. The perfect starting place for those of you new to the college funding process.

I hope that this guide will help you pay for college and save thousands of dollars. If your dream is to go to college, make memories, and leave without a load of debt, I would be honored to help your dream come true. 

Visit my newly-updated website: www.collegeboundresource.com.

Have a great week!

How to pick the right college. (And save money.)

What does picking the right college have to do with saving money? A lot, it seems. 

Think about it. Let's say that you end up hating your college choice. You decide to transfer to the new college of your dreams. Realistically, you can expect to lose some of the credits you've already earned in the transfer, and have new graduation requirements at your new school that can lengthen your college stay. Both of these probabilities will cost you money. 

The easy answer? 

Pick the right college to begin with and you'll save money. 

To help you with this process (because I know it's a big decision), I've come up with some common criteria that you should consider before you make a choice:

1. Size: 

Would you feel comfortable at a small campus (Less than 5,000 students), a medium-sized (5-15,000), or large campus (15,000+)? Obviously, life on a large campus is extremely different than life with only 2,000 other students. For a good comparison, read this article on The College Board: Big vs. Small College.

2. Location: 

Do you like warm weather and hate the winter? Prefer an urban over country lifestyle? What kind of scenery do you like? While this may seem superficial (don’t we go to college for our education?!?), the ambiance is important: if you don’t feel comfortable where you live, you’re going to have a hard time concentrating on school. Pick a college in an area you like.

3. Interests: 

Most of your college learning will take place outside the classroom. That being said, it’s important that your college offer a set of extra-curricular activities that meet your needs and interests. Be sure to research each campus, and match your interests accordingly.

4. Instructors: 

If you’re ahead of the curve and have a major (good job!), you might want to attend a campus with professors who’ve made significant contributions to your field of study.

5. Recognition: 

Perhaps you want to attend a school that has “name brand recognition.” I recommend checking out the U.S. News and World Report’s College Ranking Guide. Sure, the rankings are subjective. But, it’s a place to start.

6. Culture: 

You may be seeking a college that has a certain cultural or religious affiliation. Perhaps you want to attend an all-women or all-men campus. These desires are important to keep in mind. As yourself what kind of campus culture or affiliation you want, and pick accordingly.

7. Cost: 

While I don’t believe that cost of attendance should be the deciding factor, it is something to consider when making a decision. Before you decide, consider the cost of attending and the cost of living in the city where your potential college is located.

If you're still confused about picking a college, consider using an online college matching service like My U Search or Xap. These online matching services will do the hard work for you, by matching colleges to your interests.

The most important thing about college is that you feel comfortable at your school. When you feel comfortable on campus, you'll learn more, experience more, and most likely stay where you started. The result? A lot of money in your pocket.

College Freshmen!!! Save Money.

Alright, you've probably just moved your stuff into your new dorm room, waved your parents goodbye, and started meeting a bunch of new people. Your new-found freedom is no excuse to start spending loads of money.  

As a college freshman, you are especially appealing to credit card companies on campus, high book prices, and other not-so-great offers that seem good at first (who doesn't want a free t-shirt), but end up costing you money in the long run.

To save yourself thousands, read this list of the Top 10 Ways to Save Money Your Freshman Year of College. Trust me, you can still have tons of fun at school this year (and save a bunch of money in the process). 

Now, the only thing you'll have to worry about is your messy roommate.

Why are textbooks so expensive?

I've had many posts on finding cheaper textbooks. If you're interested, click here. 

If you want to compare all the major online bookstores at once to find the best deals, try bigwords.com. (Cool.)

However, if you've ever asked yourself why college textbooks are so expensive in the first place, click here to watch a report by WCCO in the Twin Cities.

Have a great day!

Cheap textbooks online.

I admit it. Today, I'm trolling the internet. But, I've found a "ranking" of the best online textbook sites which is good news for you!

Want to find cheap textbooks? Want to rent instead of buy this semester? Check out Campus Grotto's report about online textbook retailers: click here.

New product!

I am so excited and stressed all at the same time. I am working hard on bringing you the best products that will help you with the scholarship application process, and I am close to making them available for immediate download so you can benefit from them immediately! 

Right now, I'm compiling the 12 best ways to save money on and pay for college without breaking the bank. I'm looking for a great title, so if you have any suggestions, contact me via www.collegeboundresource.com. This little package will include:

• Tips on appealing your financial aid package
• Where to start your scholarship search and why online isn't the best place.
• How to separate yourself from other applicants and save big in the process--why it's a lot easier than you might think.
• Where to get loans that don't charge interest
• And more!

Trust me, I wish I had this "starter package" when I was getting ready to head off to college, but now you don't need to worry like I did! Keep an eye out on my website for this product in the next couple of weeks. If you want, you can sign up for my e-zine and be notified the moment this product becomes available!

Want to laugh? Read this book.

If you need a break from your studies or your scholarship applications, The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: College will make you laugh. A lot.  

Not only does this book prepare you for things like a stinky roommate (and give you practical solutions to this problem), it also gives you creative ways to save money and survive college when you are short on funds.

For example:

• Learn how to eat for free (or under one dollar)
• Learn how to ask your parents for money
• Find out how to chill food and beverages without a refrigerator
• How to create low-cost dorm room furniture

If you want more information on this book (or others like it) visit the Worst-Case Scenario website at www.worstcasescenarios.com.

Tricks of the college textbook trade. Save hundreds.

It is a dreaded but necessary expense: college textbooks. In one semester alone I paid over $600 for my books, and I know people that have had to paid more. The problem? By the end of your college career, you may spend upwards of $4,500 for textbooks--most of which you keep because it is almost pointless to sell them back (imagine my shock when I tried to sell back my Organic Chemistry books only to be offered $40 for what I paid $150). 

But, never fear. There is hope! Both professors and publishers are starting to realize that more and more students have access to the internet (duh). And, they are catching on by choosing and offering textbooks in e-format. So, before you goto the campus bookstore and spend a fortune, check out these places for online (and cheaper) versions of your assigned textbooks.

1. ichapters.com. This site offers the widest selection of e-books and single chapters of common textbooks (about time, it is so annoying when professors ask you to buy a book only to assign three chapters). They also offer regular old print textbooks with a smaller price-tag.

2. coursesmart.com. Like ichapters, this website offers online textbooks from over 4,000 of the most commonly adopted textbooks as e-books.

3. Safari Books Online. If your school has a membership with this group, you may already have access to online books that have been assigned. Check with your professor or librarian to see if your college has a membership. 

Online books are a great way to save money. But, don't forget tried and true methods like buying used textbooks if you can't find your book online.  Also, selling textbooks direct to other students will earn you more than those bookstore buy-backs. 

Right now, finding online versions of your textbooks is a little tricky, but it is up to you and your friends to make it a more common and available resource. Check out this article for more information.

The moral of the story? Before you take the dreaded walk to the bookstore, try to find your textbook online--you just might save a bunch of money!  

Save for college, without being penalized on financial aid.

You might think that filing a FAFSA is a waste of time because your family earns too much to qualify for financial aid. Think again. There are many tactics to save for college without being penalized. 

For example, did you know that students' savings and assets are figured into the FAFSA financial aid equations at a higher rate then parents' savings and assets? 20% compared to only 5.6%. That's a big difference. In addition, things like your parents' retirement plans and homes don't count. The point? It is better for your parents to save money for you instead of saving money in your own name.

There are many other techniques you can use to optimize your savings for college. To learn more, check out the special report from WCCO news in the Twin Cities here.

Save the earth, save some money.

In honor of earth week, I decided to list some ways that you can be both friendly to the environment and keep some green in your pocket. Enjoy!

In college, you are typically responsible for paying your heat and electricity bill:

1. Lower the thermostat and grab a sweater.
   
2. Unplug your electronics when you are not using them. (iPods, curling irons, and computers suck up energy when they are turned off and still plugged-in.)
   
3. Turn the lights off! 

Going home for the weekend or driving to campus?

1. Carpool with a friend, split the gas money.
   
2. Fill up your tires--you'll get better gas mileage.
3. Use mass transit to get to campus (sometimes the bus is free with your student ID)
4. Bike or walk to campus

Random, Miscellaneous, but still good ideas:

1. Buy used textbooks.
2. Use both sides of printer paper when you are printing off articles.  Use spare pieces for scratch paper.
3. Recycle print cartridges or have them re-filled.
4. Only do laundry if you have a full load.
5. Try to take shorter showers.
6. Try to reduce your garbage and have it picked up once a month instead of every week. 
7. Utilize reusable water containers instead of bottled: try a personalized one at www.mysigg.com.

Now, this is by no means an exhaustive list of the things you can do to save money and the environment, but it should be enough to get you started. If you are interested in learning more, check out this article, or this website at National Geographic.