Personal Finance

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

As a college student, you're on your own for the first time and will have to pay for a place to live, food, books and more. The easiest way to handle this is by opening a bank account.

By Chris Landers

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

ATMs are quick and convenient -- but they can be costly, too. How can you get cash fast without the fees?

By Christopher Lampton

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

Applying for student loans can seem like a daunting task when you're just getting started. But with a little bit of planning and patience, your efforts can really pay off.

By Colleen Cancio

Feeding your paycheck into a computer on a street corner just doesn't feel as safe and secure as dealing with a flesh-and-blood teller standing near a bank vault. But are your feelings deceiving you?

By Jane McGrath

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

When embarking on a college career, it pays to be curious. The more questions you have, and the more comfortable you are asking them, the better you'll be able to evaluate the colleges you have in mind.

By Sara Elliott

For many high school students, college looms as the place where they'll form lifelong friendships, take tentative steps toward a chosen career and -- oh -- educate themselves further. Is a college visit necessary to pick a good school?

By Caitlin Uttley

For most people who pursue higher education, a college degree is the end of the line. But for others, it's simply a launching point to a post-graduate education. What do you need to know before you start applying to grad schools?

By Julia Layton

If you apply early decision, you might increase the likelihood that you'll be accepted into your dream college. But will you hurt your chances to receive financial aid?

By Sarah Winkler

Picking the right college is about more than just academics. Everything from the dining hall's menu to the cleanliness of your dorm affects your experience. To get a taste of co-ed life, you'll have to visit the campus.

By Chris Obenschain

A scholarship is a gift of money that funds your college education. You don't have to be a star football player or straight-A student to get one, but you do need some scholarship savvy. Consider this your crash course in securing cash for college.

By Gallagher Flinn