Straight Talk on Paying for College Lowering the Cost of Higher Education

TRENT & SEPPY SAY... Hi, we're Trent and Seppy, and we're here to offer you some straight talk about (gulp!) paying for college. Let's face it: To make smart decisions about how to pay for your student's (or plural, students'!) education, you need more than just wishful thinking. And you don't need to face what may look like an overwhelming maze of forms, loans, tax information, and ever-growing college costs alone. So we createdStraight Talk on Paying for College:financial aid and money management strategies you can use written in plain language and presented in simple, step-by-step terms. And we threw in some laughs (yes, it's not all bad news!) to help you through this process. You deserve it!Want to figure out what the real cost of college will be for your family? We broke down the costs, direct and indirect, including all those "miscellaneous" items you may not have thought of, and asked parents of college-age students -- real people like you -- how they paid them. Want to know how to apply for financial aid and get the best package? We asked financial aid officers at some of the nation's top colleges to tell us. Want tips on saving for college and what tax breaks may be out there for you? We've given you the latest on 529 plans, Education Savings plans, and tuition tax credits. Want to know how to pay the bills that financial aid won't cover? We show you your options for meeting your share -- without going broke.And of course, we've also included our own personal advice and insights throughout this book. Why should you listen to us? During our careers, we've worked with thousands of families, helping them with financial aid advice, test prep, and college admissions. Our comments are based on our own experience and what we've learned by speaking to students, their parents, and college personnel throughout the years.So relax (it's okay!). We'll take you through the steps, with checklists at the end of each chapter to keep you on your way. We'll point out the mistakes that others have made, and help you avoid them. And we'll save you some money, too. Now, that's not bad! Copyright 2003, by Kaplan, Inc. CHAPTER ONE: Getting Started "One of the most important contacts you can make at your student's college is the financial aid office." -- Connie Gores, vice president for enrollment, Randolph-Macon Woman's College Odds are, you've picked up this book because you have a child who's getting ready to go to college. You've probably looked at some schools, flipped through a few college catalogs and viewbooks, and tried to get a sense of what this grand, life-changing experience for your student is going to cost.Then again, maybe you've been afraid to find out. (If so, we can't say we blame you.) The truth is, there's good news and bad news. Since most people prefer to get the bad news over with, we might as well get that out of the way.Unfortunately, the cost of a higher education is rising every year and will almost certainly continue to do so in the future. Just as the costs of cars and homes have increased over the past decades, so has the cost of attending college.(Our apologies if that last sentence was difficult to read, but we promise it gets better.)THERE IS HELPThe good news is that there's help all over the place if you know where to look. The government, businesses, foundations, and even universities offer ways to help manage and reduce the cost of getting a higher education. Despite the price, there are people who can and want to help you and your student afford college. After all, getting a college degree not only benefits your student, but the rest of society as well.And lucky you -- you've already found one source of help. This book was created solely to help you and your son or daughter understand and get through the process of finding and applyinCote, Elizabeth is the author of 'Straight Talk on Paying for College Lowering the Cost of Higher Education' with ISBN 9780743241090 and ISBN 0743241096.