Financial Aid Handbook, Revised Edition

Getting the Education You Want for the Price You Can Afford

Carol Stack, Ruth Vedvik

• Publisher: Career Press
• Year: 2017
• Print ISBN:
  9781632650825
• eBook ISBN:
  9781632659217
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Study Aids
• Subtopic: Study Guides

The Financial Aid Handbook is the only book families need to find the right college at the right price.

This completely revised, up-to-date edition builds on the success of the original--the definitive, one-stop guide to the college selection and payment process, covering everything from basic timelines and tuition costs to predicting your scholarship award from colleges and taking ownership of student debt after graduation.

Updated to reflect the most recent changes in federal processes and timelines and including new chapters for undocumented and homeless students, this revised edition is a must-have for high school students and their parents.

The Financial Aid Handbook features straightforward language, engaging explanations, and hundreds of tips to maximize your financial aid--the scholarship funds that come from colleges themselves. No other book on the market teaches students and parents how to find real, four-year scholarships…and how to land them. It includes:

• The nine biggest myths about paying for college.
• A step-by-step guide to completing the FAFSA and PROFILE.
• The ultimate guide to federal, state, and private student loans.
• How to predict scholarship dollars with the Merit Aid Profile.
• How to negotiate with the Financial Aid office.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Acknowledgments
• Contents
• Preface for the revised edition
• Introduction for Parents
• Introduction
• Chapter 1: The 9 Biggest Myths About Paying for College
• Chapter 2: The Basics
• Chapter 3: Let’s Talk About Debt
• Chapter 4: You, Your Parents, and Their Money
• Chapter 5: For Parents: You, Your Children, and Your Money
• Chapter 6: Merit Aid and The MAP
• Chapter 7: The Cost-Based College Search
• Chapter 8: Everything You Need to Know Before You Hand in Your Paperwork
• Chapter 9: Merit Aid and the Application
• Chapter 10: Making the Choice: An Apples-to-Apples Comparison
• Chapter 11: An Intentional Alternative Plan
• Chapter 12: What’s in a Name? Understanding Ratings and Rankings
• Chapter 13: What Color Is Your Passport? Advice for International Students
• Chapter 14: Are you a DREAMer? Advice for Undocumented Students
• Chapter 15: For Homeless and/or Unaccompanied Students
• Notes
• Index