Meeting Full College Financial Need

Financial Aid - Go to College Free

Finding Money For College to Retire - Students Financial Help - Part II

Throughout my speeches, I've constantly been asked by students how it is possible to graduate college with retirement ability. How can you use money for college to retire? Is this even possible? College is the greatest investment in the world IF you approach it intelligently the right way. This article provides students financial help by introducing you to an evolutionary way of thinking and approach which can have you graduating with the ability to pursue any passion you may have while not worrying about how next month's bills are going to get paid, or trying to keep up with the economic turmoil and the dreadful avalanche of student loans.

First off, picking up from Part I, what other ways are there for finding money for college to retire? Well you can't get rich if you're not taking the step of receiving income. Similar to what is said about the United States, college is definitely the 'land of opportunity' to achieve this step easily. Think about this for a second. What are you going to college for? What are you good at? What do you have which can benefit other college students? Use those answers to make money for college to retire. For example, I know individuals who braid hair as a hobby. I'm a great writer, and I used to charge my friends to write their essays. Utilize the fact that many students are lazy to your advantage. You may also charge for typing up papers. If you have a car, you can charge people to drive them places, and make a profit after the expense of gas. Perhaps you speak a particular foreign knowledge, and can charge others for lessons or tutoring. I know a few students who clean up places for their friends after house parties. College brings tons of opportunities! Get creative. With financial aid, the scholarships, loans, work study, part time jobs, and other creative 'side hustles', making money in college is really easy. The problem, which is also the solution to using college as the greatest investment, is keeping and building that money while in college. I continuously hear college students say they're broke, but whose fault is that? It's our own faults. It takes a commitment and sacrifice of everything you're used to in order to become successful (whatever that means to you).

I always tell my peers to treat college as a business. With all of the temptations to act like a party animal, or just a study robot, many of us don't realize how profitable college can actually be for our financial futures. Finding money for college to retire is easy. Making intelligent decisions with that money in college is the issue. College is the greatest investment because while we're in college, we have not yet been hit with the ultimate hardships of life. Now this isn't true in all cases, but majority of Millennial college students aren't yet hit with mortgage payments, huge families to support, and trying to outrun the economic turmoil with 9-9 jobs for starters. We also have an ample amount of free time to really pursue our passions and establish a secure financial position. Time is your most precious asset, and needs to be spent productively. Saving money in college, and investing into 'income-producing' ventures are the keys.

I know certain businesses where you can join for $40 and make a significant stream of income just by doing what you're already doing. Those huge financial aid checks don't mean shopping sprees and rims for your cars. It doesn't mean clubbing every weekend. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. I know plenty of students who receive checks after their tuition and bills are paid for, and spend it on physical things which are only for temporary pleasure and no income producing value. Remember that the parties and everything else will still be there when you get out of college. The real fun begins when you graduate college, don't have to struggle to get a job you dislike, and don't have to worry about how next month's bills are going to get paid. Treat college as a business, where you are meeting wonderful people from all around the world, building relationships, pursuing your passions, and establishing a wonderful life for yourself. Stop spending money on what you don't need while in college. Live under your means. This is the best time to do it! Live to help others to the best of your ability, but definitely not try to impress them. The most impressive life is one lived to impress its owner. Physical things don't determine wealth.

Your knowledge and soul desire to help others speak louder and make more of an impact than cars, clothes, jewelry, etc. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. Mark down everything you need (not want) and shop around for the cheapest prices. Yes I am saying to be cheap while in college. This is just a few years of your life. The fewer expenses you have, the better. Determine your return on investment (ROI) with every decision. This just means that if what you get is not worth more than the initial investment, then don't do it. Don't overdraft in your account trying to impress your dates. Trust me romantic walks to a few spots on campus at nights are much more impressive. Think about how lovely the rest of your life will be, and how much fun you will have, if you just saved and invested the money you receive in college.

College is majorly portrayed in the media, especially with African Americans, to be a fun party environment. Then we wonder why graduates aren't truly equipped with all the knowledge and skills necessary to truly evolve in their lives and professional fields. We wonder why the economy is in turmoil. We wonder about the future of future generations. Well it's time college be portrayed as a place of opportunity and prosperity where passions are to be pursued and dreams can become reality IF it's utilized efficiently. Use money for college to succeed, not financially fail. For these reasons, it is definitely possible to completely redefine college graduation AND retirement. Finding, saving, and investing money for college to retire can be achieved. I wish you all of the college student success, happiness, and prosperity in the world!

Stefan Johnson (G-Prez) is the President and CEO of Graduatirement, LLC, an evolutionary business of success for the entire Millennial Generation, which shows students all around the world how to graduate college and retire professionally... simultaneously! His mission is to help everyone, especially Millennials, reach their ultimate individual success, happiness, and prosperity by providing evolutionary knowledge and extremely profitable opportunities, and ultimately revolutionize the entire Educational System for present and future generations so that success happiness and success is more commonly achieved, passions are pursued, and poverty is conquered. The answer to any and every question a college student may ever have, and the evolution of Millennial Success is now here: [http://www.gprez.com] - To Your Success, Happiness, and Prosperity.

College Financial Aid FAQ

Financially Challenged? There's lots of free college information available online, and here are some of the most popular questions when it comes to student Financial Aid. Learn about the difference between grants, student loans and college scholarships and bank on your future!

What is Financial Aid?
Financial aid is monetary aid to help you pay for your college education. Aid is made available from grants, college scholarships, student loans, and part-time employment from federal, state, institutional, and private sources. The types and amounts of aid awarded are determined by financial need, available funds, student classification, academic performance, and sometimes the timeliness of application.







What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. The FAFSA is the Federal Department of education's primary application for financial aid and is the gateway form to just about any other federal, state or private grants, college scholarships, student loans or college work study programs. The FAFSA form must be filled out each year between January 1 and March 10th (although some colleges have their own earlier deadlines) and can be completed online or by mail. Four to six weeks after you file the FAFSA (two to four weeks if you filed electronically), you will receive your Student Aid Report (SAR) which will contain a summary of the information you submitted on your FAFSA and presents your Expected Family contributions (EFC) which tells you the amount your family is expected to contribute towards your education. The amount of financial aid is then determined approximately by the tuition of your college subtracted by your EFC. If you do not receive the SAR within a reasonable amount of time, you can call the Federal Processor at 1-319-337-5665. Review the SAR carefully for errors. If necessary, make any corrections on Part 2 of the SAR and return it promptly to the address listed on the form. You will then be sent a new SAR with the changes made.







What is the College Scholarship Services Profile (CSS Profile)?
Some colleges also require you to fill out a College Scholarship Services Profile form in addition to the FAFSA. It is a secondary financial aid form that supplies further information about your family income. Be sure to check whether this form is necessary and about specific deadlines with your college directly.







What is the difference between a Grant, a Student Loan and a College Scholarship?
A grant is free money from government or non-profit organizations that does not need to be repaid. Grants are usually determined by financial need but can also be influenced by academic merit. Unlike grants, student loans are money loaned from an academic institution, financial institution, or federal government that must be repaid. Like a grant, a student scholarship is free money, but is generally offered through colleges, businesses, private individuals and outside sponsors. Those awarded by the college itself are often called MERIT AID. While grants tend to be issued according to financial need, college scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Furthermore, to receive any grants or loans you must complete a FAFSA, however, many scholarships may not require you to complete a FAFSA to be eligible. Instead, you may need to obtain application material directly from the donor of the scholarship.







What are the different kinds of grants?
There are federal as well as campus-based (institutional) grants. Federal Grants are free gift money from the Federal Department of Education while campus-based grants are government funds issued directly from your college. The campus-based grants provide a certain amount of funds for each participating school to administer each year. When the money for a program is gone, no more awards can be made from that program for that year, so make sure you find out about the types of grants awarded by each college you are considering as well as their specific deadline. Below are some of the most common grants.







Federal Grants





Pell Grants are considered a foundation of federal financial aid, to which aid from other federal and non-federal sources might be added. Pell Grants are usually only awarded to undergraduate students who have not earned a bachelor's or a professional degree. The amount you get depends on your financial need, your college's tuition, your status as a full-time or part-time student and your plans to attend school for a full academic year or less. The Academic Competitiveness Grant is a new grant available to first year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2006 or for second year college students who graduated from high school after January 1, 2005. Only students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant and who has successfully completed a rigorous high school program as determined by the state or local education agency and recognized by the Secretary of Education. An Academic Competitiveness Grant will provide up to $750 for the first year of undergraduate study and up to $1,300 for the second year of undergraduate study for full-time students who are eligible for a Federal Pell Grant. The National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent Grant (AKA the National Smart Grant) is available during the third and fourth years of undergraduate study to full-time students who are eligible for the Federal Pell Grant and who are majoring in physical life, or computer sciences, mathematics, technology, or engineering or in a foreign language determined critical to national security. The student must have also maintained a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of at least 3. 0 in coursework required for the major. The National SMART Grant award is in addition to the student's Pell Grant award.


Campus-based Grants




The Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG)


The FSEOG is a campus-based grant aimed at assisting students with exceptional financial need. Pell Grant recipients with the lowest expected family contributions (EFCs) will be considered first for a FSEOG. You can receive between $100 and $4,000 a year depending on when you apply, your financial need, the funding at the school you are attending, and the policies of the financial aid office at your school.







What are the different kinds of student loans?
A student loan is money that needs to be repaid after you have completed your studies. Generally, interest rates are low- so that you do not rack up as much debt as you would with a credit card or bank loan. There are campus-based loans, which you repay directly to your college, as well as federal loans which you repay either directly to the U.S. government or to your financial institution.







Campus-based LoansFederal Perkins Loan


The Federal Perkins loan is a campus- based loan because it is administered directly by the financial aid office at each participating school. In other words, your school is the lender although the loan is made with government funds. Your school will either pay you directly or apply your loan to your school charges. You'll receive the loan in at least two payments during the academic year. You can borrow up to $4,000 for each year of undergraduate study with a maximum of $20,000 for your entire undergraduate degree. The amount you receive depends on when you apply, your financial need and the funding level at your school. The Federal Perkins Loan is a low-interest , 5 % loan for students with exceptional financial need. You must repay this loan directly to your school and you have nine months to begin your repayment plan after you graduate. Generally you will make monthly payments to the school that loaned you the money over a 10 year period. Federal LoansThe U.S. Department of Education administers the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program. Both the FFEL and Direct Loan programs consist of what are generally known as 1. Stafford Loans (for students) and 2. PLUS loans (for Parents). Schools generally participate in either the FFEL or Direct Loan program, but sometimes schools participate in both. For either type of loan, you must fill out FAFSA, after which your school will review the results and will review the results and will inform you about your loan eligibility. You also will have to sign a promissory note, a binding legal document that lists the conditions under which you're borrowing, and the terms under which you agree to repay the loan.



Stafford Loans
Stafford loans are federal loans for students. Eligibility rules and loan amounts are identical under both the FFEL and Direct loan programs, but providers and repayment plans differ. For all Stafford loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, the interest rate is fixed at 6. 8 percent. However, you can be considered for a subsidized loan, depending on your financial need, in which the government will pay (subsidize) the interest on your loan while you're in school, for the first six months after you leave school and if you qualify to have your payments deferred. You might be able to borrow loan funds beyond your subsidized loan amount even if you don't have demonstrated financial need. In that case, you'll receive an unsubsidized loan. Your school will subtract the total of your other financial aid from your cost of attendance to determine whether you are eligible for an unsubsidized loan. Unlike a subsidized loan, you are responsible for you're the interest from the time the loan is disbursed until the time it is repaid in full. After you graduate, you will have a six month 'grace-period' before you must begin repayment. During this period of time, you'll receive repayment information, and you'll be notified of your first payment due date. You are responsible for beginning repayment on time, even if you don't receive this information. You will receive more detailed information on your repayment options during entrance and exit counselling sessions provided by your school.



Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL)Funds from your FFEL will come from a bank, credit union or other lender that participates in the program. Schools that participate in the FFEL program, will usually have a list of preferred lenders. Student loan borrowers may choose a lender from that list, or choose a different lender they prefer. Your loan money must first be applied to pay for tuition and fees, room and board and other school charges. If money remains, you'll receive the funds by cheque or in cash. Besides interests, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan, deducted proportionately from each loan disbursement. For a FFEL Stafford Loan, a portion of this fee goes to the federal government, and a portion goes to the guaranty agency (the organization that administers the FFEL Program in your state) to help reduce the cost of your loans.
Direct LoanUnder the direct loan program, the funds for your loan come directly from the federal government and you will need to repay your Direct Loan to the U.S. Department of Education's Direct Loan Servicing Center. Like the FFEL loan, you will pay a fee of up to 4 % of the loan. For a direct Stafford Loan, the entire fee goes to the government to help reduce the cost of the loans.








PLUS Loans (Parent Loans)Parents can borrow a PLUS Loan to help pay your education expenses if you are a dependent undergraduate student enrolled at least half time in an eligible program at an eligible school. PLUS Loans are available through the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program and the Direct Loan Program. Your parents can get either loan, but not both, for you during the same enrolment period. They must also have an acceptable credit history. For a Direct PLUS Loan, your parents must complete a Direct PLUS Loan application and promissory note, contained in a single form that you get from your school's financial aid office. For a FFEL PLUS Loan, your parents must complete and submit a PLUS Loan application available from your school, lender, or your state guaranty agency. After the school completes its portion of the application, it must be sent to a lender for evaluation.

What are the different kinds of scholarships? Scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. Many scholarships carry conditions besides academic merit, such as financial need, affiliation with a group-, leadership, athletic talent, artistic or musical ability etc. Some scholarships are awarded by the college itself, often called MERIT AID. Other scholarships are awarded by outside sponsors. For some scholarships, you need to be nominated. For most of them, you apply directly to a sponsor. Because there are so many different types of scholarships, you should check directly with your financial aid office at your college.
Can I apply for a grant, a loan and a scholarship at the same time? Yes. You can team up different types of financial aid or simply have one kind. Nevertheless, some types of financial aid are contingent on others. For example, you can only receive an Academic Competitive Grant or a Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant if you have received a Pell Grant. While you cannot team up a FFEL loan with a direct loan, you may be eligible to receive a subsidized loan (in which the interest is paid by the government) and an unsubsidized loan (in which you are responsible for the interest) at the same time. You can also combine grants with loans and scholarships, so it never hurts to try to get as many different varieties of aid as possible!
What is the Federal Work Study Program? The Federal Work-Study Program (FWS) is a campus-based program that provides part-time jobs for undergraduate and graduate students with financial need, that allows them to earn money to help pay education expenses. The program encourages community service work and work related to the recipient's course of study.
How often should I apply for financial aid? You will need to apply for financial aid each year. Even if you did not qualify this year, you should reapply next year since financial circumstances can change. The number of family members in college, for example can have a big impact on your eligibility for financial aid. If you submitted a FAFSA during the previous year, you may be able to complete the shorter Renewal FAFSA form instead. The renewal FAFSA will be mailed to your home. The renewal FAFSA preprints most of your answers from the previous year's FAFSA. Verify that the old responses are still accurate and provide corrections or new answers where appropriate. If you don't receive a renewal FAFSA by February 15, fill out a new FAFSA form.
How do I know whether I am eligible for financial aid? Don't assume that you will not qualify for financial aid. Nearly all U.S. citizens or eligible non-citizens enrolled at least half the time are now eligible for some form of financial aid. Even if you don't qualify for a grant, free college info is still available, and you may still be eligible for other forms of financial assistance. Many families don't apply for financial aid, because they believe that they earn too much money. However, you don't need to be from a low-income family to receive financial aid. Some loans and scholarships are available regardless of need. Many factors are used to determine your eligibility for financial aid and there is no simple cut-off base on income. You can't get aid unless you apply!!

CampusCompare facilitates the college search and selection process by providing free information, student college reviews, and interactive media, connecting students to over 3000 colleges. Its helpful tools include the What Are My Chances tool [http://www.campuscompare.com/chances] and the Financial Aid Calculator [http://www.campuscompare.com/tools/?name=financial] to help students in the "match me with a college" process.

Biggest Secret About Financial Aid And Connecticut Colleges That Connecticut Parents Don't Know

One of the biggest secrets that Connecticut parents of college-bound students don't know is that by accepting a financial aid award offer from a Connecticut College you are not required that your student attend that college.

Hear me when I say this...

Your child is not required to attend a college simply because you sign and accept an awards offer!

So if you are like the thousands of Connecticut parents who are juggling timelines from many different schools then accept the initial awards if you are worried and then compare the rest as you receive them.

Let's take a look at this example to see how you could get the best of both worlds.

A student had applied and been admitted to four Connecticut colleges. He received a financial aid award offer from College 1 on February 13th. The award contained a $10,000 per year scholarship for the four years of college. The award offer had an acceptance deadline of March 21st. However, the student had not yet received his award offers from College 2, College 3 or College 4. The student then contacted College 1 and requested an extension of time to accept its award letter. However, the college denied his request and restated that the deadline for accepting its award offer and scholarship was March 21st.

The student then contacted Colleges 2, 3 and 4 and asked them to send their award offers to him before March 21st so that he could compare all four colleges' award letters. Colleges 2, 3 and 4 informed the student that they would be unable to send him their award letters until after March 21st. At this point, the student was faced with a huge decision. Should he accept College 1's award offer by March 21st, without knowing what College 2, 3 or College 4 would offer him, or should he wait until he received their award offers and miss the deadline (and lose the scholarship) for accepting College 1's offer?

Fortunately this student's parents had sought the expertise of a Connecticut college consultant and had attended Connecticut college admission counseling and as a result the student then signed and accepted Connecticut College 1's award offer. By accepting the offer, he safeguarded the award offer and scholarship. Nonetheless, the student was not obligated to actually attend College 1. The student then had time to receive the award offers from College 2, College 3 and College 4 and to review and compare the award offers from all four colleges.

If you are concerned about getting the best financial aid package at a college in Connecticut and do not know how to compare them then click on the link below to get dozens of free tips, strategies and insider secrets that will give you the specific knowledge that can help your student.

Connecticut parents find out how to send your child to the school of his or her dreams...without getting trapped in a financial nightmare of high rate, high payment, expensive debt! Click Here.

Find out the single biggest mistake 9 out of 10 parents make when applying for aid to Connecticut Colleges that literally cost them thousands of dollars! More importantly, how to avoid this fatal error! Click Here.

How to double, or in some cases triple, your eligibility for FREE grant money for Connecticut Colleges. even if you are dead broke or a millionaire making a good six figure income.

The Facts About College Financial Aid

Most American families are offsetting the high cost of college by applying for some degree of financial aid by submitting their FAFSA (Free Application For Federal Student Aid) on or after January 2nd. Unfortunately, this is not a simple process as the college financial aid system is anything but user-friendly. There are an endless number of pitfalls in the application process, and it is far too easy for families to lose some or all of the aid they are eligible for.

Many families fail to even attempt application because they don't know how to, or they incorrectly assume they are not qualified, or simply because they are intimidated by the complicated and confusing process and all its paperwork. With far more qualified applicants than desks in all of America's colleges and universities, it is reasonable to expect a system intentionally designed to eliminate all but the most knowledgeable and persistent applicants.

According to a disturbing statistic from the US Dept. of Education, the majority of all financial aid applications are rejected for errors and inconsistencies! As financial aid is awarded on a first-come, first-served basis, the loss of time in the resubmission process results in thousands of dollars of lost financial aid to eligible families who braved the college funding process blindly and alone.

This being the case, what's a family to do with one or more college-bound students facing as much as $160 to $300 thousand dollars (and still rising), to send their kids to a 4-year college? Many make the mistake of relying solely on the advice of guidance counselors, college financial aid officers (FAO's), and even their accountants. Sadly, these families are not getting all of the financial information they need and are in for a rude awakening!

Nationally, guidance departments are facing their worst crunch ever, and are overloaded with as many as 800 or more students for each counselor! Budget cuts have added to the problem causing schools to increase the responsibilities of guidance counselors in areas other than guidance, leaving them with even less time for their students - and there is no relief in sight!

Despite these obstacles and to their credit, guidance counselors still manage to effectively advise students in career planning and college selection. However, when it comes to college funding, they come up short in providing the necessary financial information that could save families thousands of dollars!

Counselors have little time and lack the expertise to show parents how to reduce their Expected Family Contribution (EFC), the minimum the federal government determines that each family will pay for any college, based on the information submitted on the FAFSA. Additionally, knowledge of specific legal financial aid strategies and their correct application would help families avoid or reduce an array of assessments that could cost them thousands of dollars for each year their students are in college!

For example, parents are unaware that students have no asset protection allowance. Consequently, students with assets in their own name are assessed by the federal government at 20% for each year they are in college! Thus, a student with $1,000 will be assessed $200 for each year the $1,000 remains in their name. After 4 years, they will have lost $800 in financial aid for having only $1,000 worth of assets! This is tragic as it can be legally avoided - if you know how.

Periodically, guidance departments present "in-house" Financial Aid Nights which focus on filling out financial aid forms and understanding the basics of the process. Nevertheless, year after year, the majority of families applying for financial aid continue to be rejected for filling out their forms incorrectly. Clearly, parents are not getting enough guidance on the college funding process.

Well-meaning guidance counselors invite FAO's to speak at their high schools, trusting them to put the best interests of the students above the financial interests of their college. By evening's end, parents are often left with a false sense of security that the college of their choice will award their student its best possible financial aid package. This is hardly ever the case!

Much like frugal employers whose goal is to hire the most talented applicants for the least amount of pay, FAO's seek the most promising students for the least amount of financial aid. Relying on an FAO to cut your college costs is like expecting an IRS agent to help reduce income taxes! FAO's can be helpful, but their loyalties are with their schools - not their applicants!

Accountants may offer some assistance, but far too few have experience with college funding. Although they are experts with income tax forms and tax strategies, college financial aid forms and college funding strategies are a horse of a different color. The good-intentioned application of accounting principles to college funding can actually hinder a family's chances of getting all the financial aid they are entitled to!

There is an endless amount of misinformation on the subject of college funding, and a good deal of it is from so-called reliable sources. Oddly, while many families seek professional counseling for their income taxes, few seek the expert advice of college funding professionals despite the fact that the average cost of one year in college far exceeds the average tax bill!

College funding professionals, a small group of admissions and financial aid experts, offer parents assistance through the college funding process and help families provide their students with the best possible education for the least possible cost. One would naturally assume they are in great demand and buried with invitations to lecture at America's high schools. Sadly, this is often not the case!

It would surprise and outrage parents to learn that, on a national scale, many guidance departments still refuse the services offered by college funding experts and authors, often stating that bringing in "outsiders" is against school policy, even when such services are offered absolutely free! Thus, every year parents enter the college funding arena without the necessary ammunition to do battle with the system - and severely overpay for college!

Reecy Aresty has been a financial advisor since 1977, and is founder and president of College Assistance, Inc., located in Boca Raton, Florida. He is the author of "How To Pay For College Without Going Broke," an invaluable, critically acclaimed, parent/student manual, (updated from its previous edition, "Getting Into College And Paying for It!"). Arguably the most revealing book ever written on college admissions and financial aid, it is also the only book of its kind available in Spanish. For the past 28 years, Reecy has helped thousands of families send their kids to the college of their choice for less than they ever dreamed possible. For more information on admissions & financial aid, and to checkout the best college book on the market today, please visit Paylessforcollege.com