Planning for College

While student loans may be your only way to pay for college, paying them back might be harder than you think. We'll break down navigating the rough road of federal and private student loans, and how to survive them after you graduate.

By Carrie Whitney, Ph.D.

Education doesn't come for free, but it's well worth the cost, particularly if you're able to finance some or part of it through grants and scholarships. How can you get help to pay for vocational school?

By Gerlinda Grimes

College students have a lot to think about when paying for school. But students with disabilities have a lot of extra things to consider that add up in the long run. What kinds of special financial opportunities are available?

By Jessica Brown

There are many reasons to have your request for financial aid declined. But you can appeal the school's decision. What can you say in your letter to convince administrators to reconsider your case?

By Jonathan Strickland

A four-year degree can help boost your career and your salary, but everyone can't go full-time. How can you pay for your college education if you're only going part-time?

By Stephanie Watson

Getting everything in order for college applications can be stressful, so many prospective students look for all the help they can get.

By Heather Kolich

The land of opportunity is also the land of entrepreneurship, the striving businessperson and, consequently, the business student. Are you looking to add those three expensive letters to your academic credentials?

By Jacob Silverman

Everyone knows that if you want to become a doctor, you must go to medical school first. But first you have to go through the admissions process, which is challenging itself.

By Stephanie Crawford

The Ivy League may have started out as an athletic consortium, but the name is now synonymous with academic rigor, professional achievement and exclusivity. How do you get in? Start here.

By Dave Roos

You might be happy about that scholarship or fellowship you just got, but don't jump for joy just yet -- you may have to pay a portion of that money back to the government. Do you owe Uncle Sam part of your financial aid package? Find out here.

By Linda C. Brinson

If you don't fill out a FAFSA -- or if you miss the deadline -- you're throwing away free money. Your school and federal government can help you pay for college, but you've got to do your part by crossing each "t" and dotting each "i" before June 30.

By Bambi Turner

Your financial aid history encapsulates all of the outside aid you've ever received for school, from grade school on up. How can that record affect you, long after you've stopped hitting the books?

By Susan L. Nasr

Every year, millions of American adults head into college classrooms to improve their job skills or upgrade their resumes. Higher education may be pricey, but the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit can help alleviate the financial burden.

By Dave Roos

Getting in to the college of your choice requires a lot of filling out forms, writing essays and personal interviews. College Admissions Assistance will help you do it, for a fee. Should you sign up?

By Nathan Chandler

What does it take to make a remarkable piece of jewelry or to deliver a moving theater performance? Sure, a mastery of the fine arts requires talent and skill, but it also takes discipline and knowledge. An MFA can prepare you for the art world.

By Echo Surina

Describe yourself. Tell us your greatest weakness (skillfully turned into a strength, of course). How would you bring about world peace? We’re just kidding on that last one, but the person opposite you at your graduate school interview may not be.

By Marie Willsey

Unless you (or your parents) are independently wealthy, your search for the right college will probably begin with a search for all available financial aid options. If you plan to be a full-time student, you'll have a few more options to choose from.

By Janice Clark

Planning on using the leftover cash from your student loan to pay for a brand new computer for school? Not so fast. The type of financial aid you receive may dictate how you can use those last remaining dollars.

By Jonathan Strickland

With college tuition soaring toward the quarter-million-dollar mark, competition for financial aid is fierce. How much will grades affect your chances obtaining merit-based and need-based aid?

By Julia Layton

Your financial aid has been credited to your college account, but now there's money left over. So when can you expect your refund check, and what do you need to know before you spend your leftover cash?

By Cristen Conger

Financial aid can help reduce the expense of college. So how do you determine how much assistance you're eligible for?

By Jessika Toothman

You're sold on the convenience of getting your college degree from the comfort of your couch and computer. Now how exactly are you going to pay for it?

By Meredith Bower

So, you want to be a lawyer. You've got a stellar GPA, and you've chosen the law school you want to attend. There's only one thing left to do before you can complete your application: take the LSAT. Why does this test instill fear and dread in so many students?

By Bambi Turner

It won't be long now before the banks come looking for that money they lent you to go to college. How do you pay it back? It all depends on what kind of loan you have.

By Stephanie Crawford

If you want to be a doctor when you grow up, you'll have to get past the MCAT first. The Medical College Admissions Test is the most brutal aspect of the medical school admissions process, but you can crack it with a little help and a little practice.

By Dave Roos