Tuition Rebates begin in 2009

Families may be able to benefit from some federal rebates for undergraduate tuition in 2009 (see recent article). While there are some rules about usage, it's definitely worth investigating.

Scholarship Searches

If you haven't started searching for college scholarships for your high school senior--- the time to start is NOW! It takes some time, but if you invest a few hours a week between now and the end of April--- you may find yourself with some additional financial aid for college.

Pursue the scholarships offered by the colleges/universities by going to the financial aid section of their websites. They will share what they offer and the criteria for being considered and any application materials that need to be submitted (Admissions and Financial Aid). For some, filling out the FAFSA and sending the results to the college will generate some communication on what you might be eligible to receive.

You can search for outside scholarships by going to http://www.fastweb.com/ and other search services on the internet. Check with local corporations, businesses, and civic organizations about scholarships they offer to area students. Do this soon because many of them have fast-approaching deadlines.

Finally, I mention that this is also a good time to evaluate your family finances to make any adjustments to your last minute savings plan or to move money around to make it accessible this summer when you will need to make payment. Which is another thing to mention--- payment plans are very common, so check with your university about getting signed-up which allows you to pay for college on a monthly basis.

Campus Visits--- Get Out There and Look Around

This is a great time of year to visit college and university campuses. The students are well into their fall schedules, the campus is alive with athletic events, and of course if you're up North, the leaves are changing their color. The value in visiting the schools you're considering, is that it gives you a real-life view of what it's like. In class, as well as out of class experiences all help you discover how you would "fit." That's something that you can't find on the internet, YouTube, Facebook, etc. The full sensory experience of visiting universities is the way to go.

My book, Collegebound, listed to the right, has a whole chapter on campus visits. I invite you to get a copy today.

If you have any campus visit experiences that you'd like to share, please make comments.

Financial Aid Applicants Increase

The Department of Education (and reported in US News & World Report) released numbers recently that indicate that there was a jump in college students applying for financial aid. This jump can likely be attributable to the FAFSA application being web-based now, which makes it easier to apply than the previous paper forms of days gone by. Additionally, the degree of exposure college cost increases have gotten in the media, combined with parents not saving enough for college costs, combined with a larger pool of high school students graduated from high school this year--- have contributed to this phenomenon.

Should twins go to the same college?

If you're a twin, conventional wisdom is that you would want to got to the same college as your sibling. However strong that argument is, there are some, including our current President, that say twins should separate and go to different colleges. Read more about this from USA Today.

Green Campus Developments Good for Planet, People and Profit

A recent Los Angeles Times article by Tiffany Hsu noted that college and university campuses are becoming more "green" for not only the benefit to the environment--- but also for "the bottom line" and it's value in attracting more students.

When you present that package of benefits--- it's a difficult movement for which to argue against.

Because of reports such as this we'll see more institutions pushing "green" and see more references to this direction in mission/vision statements or even in educational goals.

What do you think--- is "going green" going to be one of the criteria you look for in a college?

SAT and ACT Comparatives

Ever wonder how an ACT score equates to an SAT score? Wonder no more! The two groups have partnered together on a chart to shows how the scores compare. Click here for the information.

Anything surprise you about the equivalents?