How to Go to College on a Shoe String: The Insider's Guide to Grants, Scholarships, Cheap Books, Fellowships, and Other Financial Aid Secrets [Paperback]

Ann Marie O'Phelan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 1, 2008

Once again in 2006 the cost to attend college was double the inflation rate, according to the report "Trends in College Pricing 2006". The average rate of tuition at four-year private colleges was about $21,235; four-year public universities average $5,491. Tuition costs, of course, are just the beginning now add room and board, the cost of attending a private college is $29,026 per year on average, and $12,127 at four-year public universities. Take a look at IVY league universities such as Princeton and the total fees will climb to nearly $37,000. An 8% college inflation rate means that the cost of college doubles every nine years. For a baby born today, this means that college costs will be more than three times current rates when the child is ready for college. The average debt for graduating college seniors who borrow to finance their undergraduate degree is just under $20,000. But there is good news. There is more financial aid available than ever before over $134 billion. And, despite all of these college cost increases, a college education remains an affordable choice for most families. Armed with the information detailed in this comprehensive new book you will be privy to the more than 2,200 programs that offer scholarships, internships, or loans to more than 1.7 million students each year. These are scholarships, grants, and loan programs that you have never heard of for example: The Millennium Scholarship Offers $10,000 to students who have lived in Nevada for at least two years before they graduate from high school. State-funded by Nevada's portion of the lawsuit settlement against national tobacco companies. Or Patrick Kerr Skateboard Scholarship One $5,000 and three $1,000 scholarships to students who promote skateboarding. Created by a Philadelphia mother after her 15-year-old son was killed while skateboarding. Are you tall? Then apply for the Tall Clubs International Scholarship, Males 6'2" or taller and females 5'10" or higher qualify for a $1000 scholarship. In addition to scholarships and grants you will learn hundreds of innovative ways to slash your college cost including: calculating your college budget, ways to reduce your college budget, buy your text books & supplies cheap, earn college credit on an accelerated basis, CLEP, earn college credit outside the traditional classroom, make use of payment alternatives, tax credits, combine higher education and course-related employment, national and community service, tuition prepayment plans, federal funds, state aid, credit card use, Private Sector Aid, and college funds. How to apply for loans, grants and scholarships, preparing the financial Aid Packages, saving for college, retirement funds, what to do when you are parents are divorced, getting awards, private scholarships, the military, National Service, working while going to school, inexpensive dating ideas, medical & dental coverage, your car, your cell phone, your computer, your dorm room, spring break, entertainment, transportation. Maybe saving money to you does not matter, perhaps you won the lottery, but if you want to learn hundreds of innovative ways to save thousands on your college costs than this book is for you.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Atlantic Publishing Company (FL) (April 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1601380208
• ISBN-13: 978-1601380203
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6.1 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,115,620 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must-have Read for Students & Parents, July 14, 2008

By 

Tracy F. "Roundtable Reviews" (New England) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: How to Go to College on a Shoe String: The Insider's Guide to Grants, Scholarships, Cheap Books, Fellowships, and Other Financial Aid Secrets (Paperback)

Many parents, including myself, are starting to question if they will be able to send their child to college. In my area, a year of college at the state university tops $25,000, a little less if room and board is eliminated. With four years of college costing what many of us paid for our first houses, not to mention rising fuel costs and soaring heating and electricity bills, college savings have been sidelined in lieu of paying for necessary bills. There are still transportation costs, books and school supplies to consider. How are we going to send our children to college when there is no money in our already tight budgets?

Ann Marie O'Phelan's book can help any family figure out how to make college affordable. In many fields, a college degree is not an option it's a requirement. A recent scan of job postings in my area of Vermont found that even a city bus dispatcher is required to have a minimum of an associate's degree. Without a degree, salaries are much lower and jobs can be hard to find.

How to Go to College on a Shoestring offers sage advice to both student and parent. Besides the handy "Case Studies" that offer tips from those who have been there, the book is divided into ten chapters:

· How Am I Going to Pay for College?

· Applications

· The Numbers Game

· Grants

· Learn Now, Pay Later

· Work It Out!

· The Scholarship Jungle

· Bringing It Home

· Avoiding Trouble

· Living Cheap

What I like most about this handy guide is that it goes beyond finding college loans or grants. You'll find tips on getting into the college of your choice, the pros and cons of getting a job in high school to pay for college and tops on saving money while in college. Students learn how to shop wisely for things like groceries and textbooks.

The author's put a lot of work into her book. She includes a thorough listing of college funding programs for every state and pages of information on financial aid programs available in the U.S., as well as common scams that are circulating.

HOW TO GO TO COLLEGE ON A SHOESTRING is a must-read for every parent and high school aged child. It's packed with important information and handy tips to help keep college costs down and to ensure your child/children are able to attend college.

As a side note, a portion of the proceeds from the sale of this book will be donated to the Humane Society of the United States.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars How To Go To College On A Shoe String, July 21, 2008

By 

Jennifer Hale - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Go to College on a Shoe String: The Insider's Guide to Grants, Scholarships, Cheap Books, Fellowships, and Other Financial Aid Secrets (Paperback)

According to experts a college degree can nearly double your annual salary, but the road to acquiring one can be expensive. How To Go To College On A Shoe String offers several ways to pay for college while attending, and offers suggestions on how to decrease the amount of student loans that will need to be paid back after graduation. This educational book does a great job of exploring the advantages and disadvantages of student loans, local community colleges, cooperative education, work study programs, and working while attending college. It emphasizes the importance of taking your SAT's, when to send out applications for financial aid and scholarships, how to organize application paperwork, and how to keep everyday expenses such as textbooks, meals, and transportation to a minimum. In this book you will find countless informative websites, some of which include worksheets to calculate the amount needed for financial aid, and others for lis ts of organizations and the sc holarships they offer. This invaluable reference manual is detailed, organized and reader friendly. After reading How To Go To College On A Shoe String, you will have a better understanding of the college application process and can concentrate on your education and enjoying your college years. I give this book a 4 out of 5 star rating.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This Book Has it All!, June 3, 2008

By 

Cynthia J. Nichols - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: How to Go to College on a Shoe String: The Insider's Guide to Grants, Scholarships, Cheap Books, Fellowships, and Other Financial Aid Secrets (Paperback)

The first thing that jumped out at me when I looked at this book is the cutsey, curlie-q text used for the table of contents and chapter headings, and I must admit I was a bit put off. However, cutsey-ness aside, I found this book to be loaded with great information. There's a lot of good common sense information, and there is a lot of detailed information such as web sites and addresses where a student can go to find help, money, jobs, etc.

For anyone looking for ways to afford college, this book is a great resource. A lot of things are covered that the average student might not consider. Not only finding money to go to school, like scholarships and grants and loans, but also ways to cut costs, such as gas-saving tips, ways to save on food expense, health-care costs, and living expenses. There is also a great section on how to avoid scams, which is something I think most college students seeking money need to watch out for.

I also really found the appendices listing a variety of resources to be quite helpful. I would have liked to have seen some of the resource lists by state, but I still felt that the representative sampling given was enough to at least help me to know certain services exist, so I could search for them in my area. The bottom line is that anyone who is looking for any kind of financial assistance for college is going to be helped by this book. It's loaded with information.