Links and Resources
College Information
College Board Online: An excellent tool for college admissions: planning, searching, applying and paying for college.
http://www.collegeboard.org/
College Scholarships, Colleges, and Online Degrees: Links for colleges and scholarships. Has lists for Women's Colleges, Christian Colleges and colleges with programs for learning disabilities.
http://www.college-scholarships.com/
GoLocalProv top 10 college admission websites for parents and students:
http://www.golocalprov.com/lifestyle/college-admissions-top-10-college-admissions-websites1
College View: College search and comprehensive college planning site.
http://www.collegeview.com/index.jsp
Common Application: Link to the Private Universities/Colleges Common Application. Accepted by 298 private colleges. Online submission, all print forms and requirements are available.
https://www.commonapp.org/
Ecampus Tours: Offers hundreds of campus virtual tours.
http://www.ecampustours.com/
First in the Family: Advice about College
https://www.firstinthefamily.org/highschool/index.html
EDUCATIONUSA
General information on study in the U.S. for international students.
Online College Programs
Guide to Best Online Degrees - http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/best-colleges-online/
Cheapest Online Degrees - http://www.affordablecollegesonline.org/cheap-online-colleges/
Guide to Online Schools – http://www.guidetoonlineschools.com/
All About Online Colleges – http://www.accreditedschoolsonline.org/online-colleges/
College Rankings
College and University Rankings
Princeton Review's The Best Colleges Ranked by Students
Standardized Testing
ACT
This company administers the ACT Assessment exam and provides information for educational and career planning. You can register on their website.
College Board
Known for the SAT and the Advanced Placement (AP) Program, The College Board is online with an “SAT Question of the Day,” online SAT registration and information about the CSS/Financial Aid PROFILES.
Financial Aid and Scholarships
College Loans 101: http://www.onlineloancalculator.org/resources/college-loans-101.php
U.S. Department oF Education
Home to the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form and the “Student Guide to Financial Aid.” This site also offers help in meeting college educational goals.
FAFSA
The U.S. Department of Education's Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Find out if you qualify for federal student financial assistance.
A Financial Aid Guide:
The Complete Starter Guide to Scholarships, Grants, Loans, and Paying for Graduate School
Fantasy Sports Daily: https://www.fantasysportsdaily.com/scholarship/
Use FastWeb's free scholarship search to find information on more than 600,000 scholarships!
FinAid
The SmartStudentTM Guide to Financial Aid - Learn about scholarships, loans, military aid and education savings plans.
Financial Aid Resource Publications
Funding Education Beyond High School: The Guide to Federal Student Aid is a comprehensive resource on student financial aid from the U.S. Department of Education. Grants, loans and work-study are the three major forms of aid available through the Department's Federal Student Aid office. This publication tells you about the programs and how to apply for them.
Financial Aid Resource Publications
Funding Education Beyond High School: The
Financial Literacy http://www.annuity.org/financial-literacy/students/
Unique Scholarship Opportunities:
NSF Scholarships in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics - http://www.nsf.gov/funding/pgm_summ.jsp?pims_id=5257
Science, Mathematics And Research for Transformation (SMART from the DoD) - http://smart.asee.org/about/eligibility">http://smart.asee.org/about/eligibility
Edward C. Bryant Scholarship in Survey Statistics - http://www.amstat.org/awards/ecbryantscholarship.cfm
Xerox Minority Scholarships - http://www.xerox.com/jobs/minority-scholarships/enus.html
$1,000 College Scholarship from Rover - https://www.rover.com/blog/rover-college-scholarship/
CANFIT Scholarships - http://canfit.org/scholarships/
American Culinary Federation Scholarships - https://www.acfchefs.org/ACF/Education/Scholarships/ACF/Education/Scholarships/
Fantasy Sports Daily is offering two ongoing scholarships per year, valued at $1,000 USD each: https://www.fantasysportsdaily.com/scholarship
FINANCIAL PLANNING RESOURCES:
TheSimpleDollar.com:
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/student-loan-consolidation-guide/
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/student-loan-consolidation-guide/#the-rising-cost-of-college-and-student-debt
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/student-loan-consolidation-guide/#six-strategies-for-paying-off-student-loans-faster
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/student-loan-consolidation-guide/#howdo-i-consolidate-student-loans-what-are-the-pros-and-cons
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/student-loan-consolidation-guide/#does-student-loan-consolidation-save-money
Creating Your Budget (Worksheet and Tips) - https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/prepare-for-college/budgeting/creating-your-budget
Debt Payoff Calculator: http://www.thesimpledollar.com/debt-payoff-calculator/
International Education Financial Aid
The IEFA offers financial aid, college scholarships, grants and awards searches for international students studying abroad.
Military Awards for College
Grants for military personnel are available through the Imagine America Foundation. This $1,000 career education award is available to any qualified active duty, reservist, honorably discharged or retired veteran of a United States military service branch for attendance at a participating career college.
Sallie Mae
The official home page for the federal student aid programs administered by the U.S. Department of Education. This is a good source for free information on preparing for and funding education beyond high school.
Test Centers
Codes
Retirement Planning
"Starting To Plan For Your Retirement While In College"
http://www.annuityfyi.com/guide-plan-in-college.html
http://www.debt.org/students/loan-forgiveness/
http://www.debt.org/students/college-budgeting-101/
Just a quick note to pass along what a wonderful experience this has been. You really took the time to get to know the real ‘Claire’, through your holistic approach. Let’s face it, it can be tough to get a teenager focused and insightful, but your method worked. There’s no way that parents these days can truly stay on top of all of all the latest developments on the college front. And in a sense, it is surprising that many parents would approach one of the most precious ‘investments’ that they will ever make, without considering at least some ‘expert help’ to guide them through the process. We’re certainly glad that we did! You effectively cross referenced ‘Claire’ with your knowledge base about the many colleges and universities, to arrive at a meaningful range of prospective schools for Claire. Your additional guidance with the actual application process – including the ‘daunting’ written essay -- further insured success, and we can vouch for that, with 9 acceptances out of 9 applications. As a result, when our daughter heads off to school this Fall, she’ll be confident in her college decision, and so will her parents!
— Ken, parent