Don't Pay for Financial Aid assistance

Sadly, companies are springing up all over the place lately offering to assist you in finding scholarship and financial aid for a small fee....DON"T DO IT!!!!  Many of these companies are just scamming you and will not be able to provide you with any additional assistance if any at all-They are taking your money and running.  Other companies will assist you, however all of this information is available to you already ~ you do not need to pay them to get the funding to pay for college.  Start by learning about the federal funding available at http://www.fafsa.ed.gov/  There are additional links available to you through the Department of Education like http://federalstudentaid.ed.gov/  Both of these websites are direct sites for Federal aid and you can rest assured especially if you check that your using a .gov site which indicates that is is indeed a Government site and note a fake.  You should also check with your local librarian for scholarships through the community ~ many will have listings available at the Library.  You can use the world wide web to also search for scholarships ~ but always be careful when entering your information that the site you are using is reputable http://www.fastweb.com/ is a good search engine to use and it allows you to search for scholarships using a selection of criteria that you choose.  I strongly suggest casting your net wide when it comes to private scholarships! 

Again, have to state that you NEVER should send in any $$ for financial aid ~ No application fees, no service fees ~ NO FEES.  If they are asking you to pay a fee for a scholarship, they are NOT a reputable scholarship organization.

Good Luck in your funding search, and remember that your financial aid office at the college of your dreams wants to ensure that you come to their college. ~ they are your partners in this process.

Re-thinking this Blog Thing...

OK, I love shopping and all that but have to say after talking with families and students about financial aid all day and then hearing from friends and families about their Financial Aid questions at night...got me thinking.  Why am I fighting the wave, I need to just stand up and surf!  so here is my informal information on financial aid...  Federal Aid is not going to cover all of your expenses no matter how "poor" you cry.  You need to be looking out for private scholarships, incentives through your work, saving saving saving...and being smart with the money you do have.  Parent's need to start saving for retirement, don't wait until your kids are out of college, by then you have missed your prime opportunity to save.  (Don't you ever listen to Suzie Orman??) Anyway, start looking for private scholarships when your kid is a Junior in High School.  Get to know the deadlines for applying and what application materials are requested.  Become good friends with the local librarian ~ she's the one who keeps a list of scholarships available through the town's local Elks, Lodge, Women's club etc.  Set your net wide, for every 20 scholarships you apply for, your lucky to get 1 or 2 .  Look into borrowing smart, check out the interest rates for Parent Plus loans (right now they are at 7.9%) www.studentloans.gov You may not be able to get a better rate with a private personal loan or re-finance...but who knows, check into it.  If you have a financial advisor, you should be talking with them about your goals including your intent to support your child's education, or not.  Just to give you a heads up on the whole Federal aid thing, at most for the 2012-2013 year you MAY be eligible for a Pell grant of up to $5,550 and your student if under the age of 24 can borrow $5,500 of Direct loans their freshman year.  If your child is planning on going to the state school and cost are low for tuition and fees you could be OK. But, don't forget about the other costs like books, supplies, computer, transportation and they all have to eat, whether they are living at home and commuting or living on campus, these additional expenses can add up quickly.      My advice to you is again.  1. Start Early 2. Find out about the total costs of the school 3. Investigate private scholarships 4. Know the deadlines and complete all the forms required by the schools Financial aid office 5.  Keep your fingers crossed and pray!

Good Luck