Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Three Ways You Can Pay For College

By Steve Sheehan

So, you're getting ready to go to college. Great choice, but have you checked out the prices recently? Wild stuff. So, you're probably wondering where you are going to come up with this sort of cash. That is the topic of this article.

Basically, there are several ways of funding your college education One is to save up enough money in the first place. This, as we know, isn't very easy. Another way is to get others to give you money for college in the form of scholarships and grants. The final way is to borrow the money, either through government backed loans or from private lenders.

Let's talk about savings. The key with saving for college is to make sure that you're keeping as much money as possible. For this, you'll want a tax free college account. These are usually known as "529" plans, and offer a tax sheltered method of saving for college. This is the way to go if you can.

The best way to get money for college is through scholarships and grants since these will give you free money. The biggest key to getting this is to apply! So many people do not apply for scholarships, and thus leave a lot of money on the table. Don't let this be you.

If you can't come up with the money by any other means, you'll need to check into getting student loans. Student loans are typically low interest loans that you will have to repay over a long period of time after you graduate. These come in two flavors, government backed and private. Let's talk about both.

A government backed loan is typically a Stafford loan. These loans are given out to most students, with increasing amounts available each year. These are the best loans to have, as they give you the most flexibility and the lowest rates. A private loan, on the other hand, is just a regular loan from a bank that will come with its own interest rates and terms. These loans are typically not as flexible as the government options, and should be considered as a last resort.

Paying for college isn't easy, but I hope this has given you a good idea of what kind of options are out there. Best of luck!

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