Financing College: How to Use Savings, Financial Aid, Scholarships and Loans to Afford the School of Your Choice [Paperback]

Kristin Davis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 21, 1998 | ISBN-10: 081292827X | ISBN-13: 978-0812928273 | Edition: 1st

Demystifies the college aid process--savings, financial aid, scholarships and loans.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Written as a guide to prepare prospective college students and their parents for the escalating costs of a college education, Davis, senior associate editor of Kiplinger's Personal Finance magazine, takes a comprehensive approach to develop a strategy to afford a higher education. Davis does an excellent job of explaining various investment avenues for financing a college education. Information concerning how financial-aid officers determine eligibility and practical advice on how to negotiate a better aid package are but a few items sure to be of interest to those preparing to pay for a college education. Davis's book is highly readable and will probably be most valuable to parents preparing to save for their children's education, though college students too will benefit from this well-written, well-organized book. Recommended for public libraries.?Dennis Krieb, St. Charles Cty. Community Coll. Lib., St. Peters, Mo.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

This summer's headlines shouted news that students--and their parents--already knew. College costs have jumped as much as 6 percent--more than twice the inflation rate--at most schools. The question of how to finance a college education is now more immediate than ever. Though helpful new guides have proliferated, Davis' advice should win instant attention and respect because she is an editor at Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine. Packed with informative sidebars, charts, and graphs that are typically Kiplinger's, her book considers how and when to begin saving for college, how to "win" college aid, and whether to borrow money. Davis warns against the scholarship "mirage" and discusses the financial aspects of choosing which college to attend. She also suggests alternatives, such as the military and cooperative education, and examines such innovations as paying tuition in installments or prepaying to lock in costs. A final chapter looks at financial services for students and ways to minimize student living expenses. David Rouse

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kiplinger Books; 1st edition (April 21, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 081292827X
• ISBN-13: 978-0812928273
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 7.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 2.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,537,371 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Disagree strongly with previous negative reviews, May 16, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Financing College: How Much You'll Really Have to Pay and How to Get the Money (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

I think the author was treated unfairly in the some of the earlier reviews. They must have been referring to the older editions of the book. The current edition of the book does talk about the new 529 plans without becoming an accounting textbook. What I like about Davis' treatment of the subject is the "you can do it yourself" approach instead of being a referral tool to financial advisors. Especially valuable is the worksheet on federal financial aid which gives one the ability to see how changes in one's finances can change computed financial need. Most financial aid websites just give you a grand total without explaining how the numbers were calculated. This isn't a book for those who love mind-numbing detail, but it is a good basic guide for getting started with a college savings plan.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is a new edition, published in September 2001, December 11, 2001

By 

"dharrison43" (Alexandria, VA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Financing College: How Much You'll Really Have to Pay and How to Get the Money (3rd Edition) (Paperback)

This book is terrifically up to date. I wonder how the three people who gave it one star reviewed it five months before it was published. If they'd read the current edition (or any. I wonder just who these three people were who all happened to have reviewed the book on April 6. I smell a rat.), they would have found it to be wonderfully current, well written, comprehensive. Anyone with kids--whether teens approaching college or tots--would benefit from this book.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent!, February 10, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Financing College: How to Use Savings, Financial Aid, Scholarships and Loans to Afford the School of Your Choice (Paperback)

Kristin Davis puts it all into perspective in this easy-to-read guide. Her emphasis is on helping you start early to develop an overall plan -- so that without too much grief, you can pay your share and find the rest elsewhere.