There's no single source for finding financial assistance, but our partners at EducationGrant have done the hard work for you. Not only have they combed through all the information, but make it easy to understand.
This interactive guide will:
Check out How to Find Grants and Scholarships for College and soon you'll find that funding your education is easier than you thought!
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Being a parent is a tough job, especially when you're doing it by yourself. That doesn't deter many single parents from obtaining a degree from an accredited online college. Balancing coursework with other responsibilities can be challenging, so we're excited to announce the launch of CourseAdvisor.com's Guide for Single Parents.
This new interactive guide includes:
Check out the Guide for Single Parents and take the next step towards a brighter future!
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Originally compiled by Helen Nunn, Director of Financial Aid, Susquehanna University
College tuition is expensive. Don't let flashy sticker prices scare you away from pursuing your education! 
Here are 6 Tips to Help You Pay for College:
1. IDENTIFY the colleges which best meet your academic, extracurricular and geographic criteria. Investigate schools which represent a range of costs, and don’t automatically rule out the more expensive colleges.
2. APPLY for the types of aid that best fit you. Everyone’s financial situation is different, so don’t exclude yourself from the process because your friend or classmate didn’t apply/qualify for scholarships or other forms of financial aid.
3. UNDERSTAND the difference between scholarships and need-based financial aid. Merit-based scholarships may be awarded to students with exceptional abilities in academic, music or other areas. Need-based aid is available to students whose families need help in paying college costs. Most schools, but not all, will offer both types.
4. NOTIFY the financial aid office if your family's financial status changes. A financial aid package can be adjusted, even after the academic year begins, but the office can only consider special circumstances if you notify them.
5. COMPARE financial aid packages, or the combination of scholarships, grants, loans, and work-study awards, that you receive from different schools. Make sure you understand your family's bottom line cost for the year, in addition to the available aid presented to you.
6. CONSIDER the final cost rather than the listed sticker price of the school. At many schools, the majority of students pay less than the listed price due to financial aid, so make sure you understand how much of your expense will be met through financial aid programs.
For more financial aid advice, check out our Scholarship Secrets 2010 guide - download it for free!
In a recent CourseAdvisor suvery, we asked you to explain what’s keeping you from earning your college degree. An overwhelmingly large portion of you responded with: The cost of tuition. We spoke to Lee Harrell, Assistant Vice President of Admission and Financial Aid at Ohio Wesleyan University, who offered to share with us some financial aid “secrets” to help you out.
FILL OUT THE FAFSA. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is often the key to unlocking doors to otherwise inaccessible federal and state grants and loans. Also, by filling out the FAFSA you will find out how much money the government will provide towards your schooling.
INVESTIGATE PRIVATE SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS. Check with your college to obtain leads on possible funds. Many of these scholarships and grants have very specific requirements, but those requirements may lessen over time, if an exact match isn’t found. Visit web sites like www.fastweb.org for more information.
ASK ABOUT INSTITUTIONAL LOANS. Some colleges set aside funds to loan to students who are unable to secure private loans. Institutional loans are not awarded as part of normal college financial aid packages and they often aren’t advertised, so it is important to ask about them.
ASK ABOUT A “SPECIAL CIRCUMSTANCE APPEAL” if your family’s financial situation has changed since your FAFSA filing. This is another important reason to file the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you will qualify for aid at the time of filing. If something does happen, having the form on file provides a bit of an “insurance policy” that can be cited in the appeal process.
MAKE SURE TO COMPLETE AN INTERNAL FINANCIAL AID APPLICATION for your college. Not all schools have separate internal forms, but for schools that do, even filing the form may open up some additional aid opportunities.
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