Financial Aid Handbook Revised Edition

The Financial Aid Handbook is the only book families need to find the right college at the right price. This completely revised, up-to-date edition builds on the success of the original--the definitive, one-stop guide to the college selection and payment process, covering everything from basic timelines and tuition costs to predicting your scholarship award from colleges and taking ownership of student debt after graduation. Updated to reflect the most recent changes in federal processes and timelines and including new chapters for undocumented and homeless students, this revised edition is a must-have for high school students and their parents. The Financial Aid Handbook features straightforward language, engaging explanations, and hundreds of tips to maximize your financial aid--the scholarship funds that come from colleges themselves. No other book on the market teaches students and parents how to find real, four-year scholarships…and how to land them. It includes: The nine biggest myths about paying for college. A step-by-step guide to completing the FAFSA and PROFILE. The ultimate guide to federal, state, and private student loans. How to predict scholarship dollars with the Merit Aid Profile. How to negotiate with the Financial Aid office.

In today's economy, a college degree is more important-- and more expensive-- than ever before. Here is the definitive, one-stop guide to the college selection and payment process, covering everything from basic timelines and tuition costs to predicting your scholarship award, and taking ownership of student debt after graduation.

This guide provides a description of Federal Student Aid programs and the application process. Readers will find information on federal student aid as a source for funding postsecondary education, and know where to go for more detailed information. Funding Your Education: The Guide to Federal Student Aid speaks to high school students, college students, adults, and parents interested in finding out about financial aid from the federal government to help pay for education expenses at an eligible college, technical school, vocational school, or graduate school.

A “bracing and well-argued” study of America’s college debt crisis—“necessary reading for anyone concerned about the fate of American higher education” (Kirkus). College is far too expensive for many people today, and the confusing mix of federal, state, institutional, and private financial aid leaves countless students without the resources they need to pay for it. In Paying the Price, education scholar Sara Goldrick-Rab reveals the devastating effect of these shortfalls. Goldrick-Rab examines a study of 3,000 students who used the support of federal aid and Pell Grants to enroll in public colleges and universities in Wisconsin in 2008. Half the students in the study left college without a degree, while less than 20 percent finished within five years. The cause of their problems, time and again, was lack of money. Unable to afford tuition, books, and living expenses, they worked too many hours at outside jobs, dropped classes, took time off to save money, and even went without adequate food or housing. In many heartbreaking cases, they simply left school—not with a degree, but with crippling debt. Goldrick-Rab combines that data with devastating stories of six individual students, whose struggles make clear the human and financial costs of our convoluted financial aid policies. In the final section of the book, Goldrick-Rab offers a range of possible solutions, from technical improvements to the financial aid application process, to a bold, public sector–focused “first degree free” program. "Honestly one of the most exciting books I've read, because [Goldrick-Rab has] solutions. It's a manual that I'd recommend to anyone out there, if you're a parent, if you're a teacher, if you're a student."—Trevor Noah, The Daily Show

In "You're the Director!" you'll discover guidance from more than a dozen experienced financial aid professionals on topics such as directing a financial aid office, long-term planning, change management, budgeting, finding new resources, working efficiently, assessment and evaluation, positioning yourself on campus, and more. This book is a must-have for new and aspiring financial aid directors, as well as for seasoned financial aid directors who are constantly seeking to improve their leadership skills.