College and Education

What are guaranteed schlarships and how to get one (08/31/2010)
(...) Using these scores they select the highest-scoring students to be named National Merit Semifinalists. About 16,000 students out of the more than 1.2 million students who take the PSAT become Semifinalists. (...)

Useful tips for saving money for college (08/31/2010)
(...) These programs offer a nice supplement to your savings, and over time you can rack up a nice chunk of change. Since all of these student reward programs work in a similar way, look for the one that offers you the best selection of participating retailers and merchants as well as the highest rebate on the purchases you make most. Also keep in mind that these programs are relatively new and are continuously adding merchants so be sure to check their websites for the most current list of participating stores. (...)

Modified adjusted gross income and paying for college (08/31/2010)
(...) Be sure you estimate the taxes that you might owe should you cash out a custodial account. Also, remember that the money in a UTMA/UGMA was gifted to your child and therefore will become his or her money at the age of maturity, which is either at age 18 or 21 depending on the laws in your state. Therefore, this money can only be used to pay for your child's education and cannot be switched to another beneficiary. (...)

The Crummey Trust is a trust fund that might cover college expenses (08/31/2010)
(...) However, if you plan to open a Coverdell or simply to invest on your own, you'll learn that investing for college is different than for other goals such as retirement. The biggest challenge is that you don't have as much flexibility over when you need the money. You can always defer retirement for five years but not so with a college education. (...)

Strategies for saving money and paying for college (08/31/2010)
(...) Also, every dollar you save could mean one less dollar you have to borrow. This will save you a lot of money in interest payments. When you think about it, each dollar you save is actually worth a lot more if it helps you borrow less. (...)

Apply to more scholarships using the knowledge of your counselor (08/30/2010)
(...) Get out your phone book and make a list of the service clubs in your community. While you're at it, why not dial the number and ask if they offer a scholarship? Keep in mind that most service clubs also belong to a national organization. Both the local and the national organization may offer their own scholarships. (...)

How to choose from more scholarships (08/30/2010)
(...) By downloading it from the Internet, you have instant access to the application. When using the mail, students have reported receiving applications late, if at all. This is because many scholarship organizations are composed of volunteers, meaning that they don't have the staff to respond as quickly as they'd like to application requests. (...)

Use your community service to win scholarship money (08/30/2010)
(...) AmeriCorps sponsors the Presidential Freedom Scholarships to promote and recognize leadership in service and citizenship. Applicants must be high school juniors or seniors who have contributed at least 100 hours of service within the past year, demonstrate outstanding citizenship through their service and participation in other community activities and plan to attend an eligible institute of higher learning. You don't have to be a great athlete to win a scholarship You might think you need to be the next Michael Jordan or Mia Hamm to win an athletic scholarship. (...)