It’s no secret that college tuition is becoming an increasing expense for most Americans. For the 2009-2010 school year, the average tuition for a private, nonprofit four-year college was a staggering $27,293. That’s an average increase of 5.6% each year over the past ten years according to a trend in college pricing report.
However, there was a bright spot amidst the tuition gloom. In the same year, more than $154 billion in financial aid was awarded to undergraduate students according to College Board. This suggests that now more than ever, planning ahead and being diligent about applying for financial aid can save you a significant amount.
Here are three tips for navigating the rough road of college financial aid:
1. FAFSA, ASAP!
Fill out your Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) as quickly as possible after the forms are released on Jan. 1 f
Initially stocks were yawning all day. Then late in the day, as it became clear that the House GOP was crumbling, the selling began.
Still nothing terribly dramatic.
But first, the scoreboard:
Dow: -91.50NASDAQ: -2.84S&P 500: -5.49
July 26, 2011 – By Harro ten Wolde and Georgina Prodhan
FRANKFURT/LONDON – Germany’s SAP AG
Echoing comments from peer IBM
SAP shares surged 6.9 percent in New York
Co-Chief Executive Jim Hagemann Snabe told journalists on a conference call SAP had won market share from all competitors in its core businesses thanks to new products that enable mobility, cloud computing and faster data retrieval.
Software sales grew strongly in all regions.
Addressing concerns about a debt crisis in Europe, Snabe said: “I see strong commitment from the main leaders in Europe to see that the euro is stable.” Snabe said he could not predict what effect a possible U.S. de
All this talk about raising the debt ceiling when the fact is—like almost “every other democratic country”—we shouldn’t have one at all, writes James Surowiecki in the New Yorker. “There’s no debt limit in the Constitution,” and Congress already has a way to control spending. It’s called the budget, and unlike debt ceiling debates, “it doesn’t risk economic chaos.” Indeed, “the only reason we need to lift the debt ceiling is to pay for spending that Congress has already authorized.”
The ceiling is a dated concept: It was invented when Congress had little control over spending, unlike today. In short, it’s a self-made
July 22, 2011 – By Emily Flitter and Jennifer Ablan
NEW YORK – American businesses, from Wall Street banks to major industrial corporations, are preparing contingency plans for a pair of once-unthinkable events: the United States defaulting on its debt and the loss of the nation’s top AAA credit rating.
While most bankers, investors and executives still cannot imagine that politicians in Washington could be reckless enough to let the government run out of money to pay its bills on August 2, they can’t guarantee that the game of chicken that has been played in recent weeks won’t go awfully wrong.
Lawmakers and President Barack Obama need to agree to raise the current $14.3 trillion legal borrowing limit by that date to avert a default but the decision is being held hostage to arguments between Republicans and Democrats about how to cut the U.S. bu
The following table lists unplanned and planned production outages at U.S. refineries as reported by Dow Jones Newswires. The information is compiled from both official and unofficial refining sources and doesn’t purport to be a comprehensive list.
Citgo Corp.’s oil refinery in Corpus Christi, Texas, has resumed normal operating rates the Co. said on July 21, following operational upsets on July 19 forced a cutback at the facility’s East Plant processing units.
Tesoro Corp. on July 22 will restart an unidentified processing unit following routine maintenance at its Wilmington, California, refinery.
A residual hydrotreating train was depressurized on July 18 at BP PLC’s oil refinery in Texas City, Texas, to facilitate repairs to fix a leak at the unit’s heat exchanger, a filing to Texas state environmental regulators made public on Tuesday said.
If you like to plan ahead…
“Take an inventory of what you already have before you step out the door to go shopping,” says Live Simply, Live Thrifty, Live Savvy. “You may have more than you would expect. Also buy school supplies throughout the entire year that you see on clearance or on sale.”
“Wait till school supplies go on clearance, usually a week before school,” says Chrissy H. “I buy for the rest of the year as well when school supplies are on sale.”
If you have a long shopping list…
Shop during a sales tax holiday. “If you live in a state with a tax-free holiday, wait to shop until then!” says Roxanne S. “On top of saving taxes, most retailers will have specials and sales.”
“Wait for the ads,” Henry H. says. “Check for the sales,” Tiffany S. adds. “There have been some really good ones lately, such as packs of notebook paper for 25 cents. That’s a steal!”
If you prefer to shop with friends…
Organize a hand-me-down clothing swap. Gather your like-minded parenting friends and put together a fun event. Make an afternoon of it, with snacks and activities for the kids.
Head to a warehouse store with friends. You may not need one hundred spiral notebooks from Costco, but if you go with a friend and split the cost, you can double your buying power without overstocking your closet.
If you’re into recycling and repurposing…
“Re-use last year’s backpack,” says Meg P.
Check out garage sales and second-hand shops. You might be able to find gently used clothing, backpacks, lunchboxes and more for the kids. It’ll still be new to them and it’s good for the environment!
For expensive electronics, like laptops and eReaders, consider buying refurbished. Shop for refurbished laptops on Amazon.com. Look through the availability at the Dell Outlet, which offers refurbished, previously ordered, and cosmetically blemished electronics. Just make sure you shop a trusted retailer and read through all the fine print before buying.
Do you have a tried-and-true back-to-school shopping tip?