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. (...)

Winning contests might bring you a great scholarship (08/31/2010)
(...) How can I make a recording of my performance to send to contests? Many music and vocal contests require a CD. It's very important that you don't skimp on this since no matter how talented you are if you record in a noisy room with a dog barking in the background, it will affect the quality of your performance. But you don't have to shell out hundreds of dollars to rent a studio either. (...)

What are scholarships for tranfer students and state entitlement awards (08/31/2010)
(...) Ironically, one of the biggest problems with the program is that many students aren't aware that they are eligible for a CalGrant and don't claim their money. Many states offer similar entitlement awards. Some are based on academic merit while others on financial need. (...)

Pay for college using reward programs (08/31/2010)
(...) Can I rely on reward programs to pay for all of my education? Unless you are the shopper of the century, the short answer is: no. While these programs are a nice enhancement to your overall savings strategy you should not rely on them alone to generate the money you need for college. Think of these programs as one of many tools that you'll use to build your savings future. (...)

Buying bonds will help you pay for college for your kids (08/31/2010)
(...) If you earn more than US Dollars 82,100 as a single filer or US Dollars 130,650 as a joint filer you cannot deduct any interest. Unfortunately, savings bonds given to your child as a gift aren't eligible for tax-free treatment. Also, any bonds not purchased by you are similarly ineligible. (...)

Invest your money before sending your kid to college (08/31/2010)
(...) " Even relatively safe choices start to look too risky if you can't wait out a market downturn. Diversify to prevent putting all your eggs in one basket Part of being conservative with your investments is diversifying your portfolio. You don't want to keep all of your money in one stock or even one sector. (...)

What are tuition bills and how to use them for college payments (08/31/2010)
(...) Before you take advantage of any tax break, do a little long-term planning and create several scenarios to see how each choice affects your bottom line. As you will see there are some situations where electing to take a tax break may impact another area of your personal finances. Timing Is Everything The premise for all tax breaks is to refund you money that you have paid out of your pocket for college expenses. (...)

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. (...)

Look for scholarships that fit you best in your area (08/30/2010)
(...) To maximize your chances of winning a scholarship you need to look everywhere - and that means getting out of your chair and looking beyond the Internet. Some of the best scholarships are found far from the beaten path. It takes more time and effort to find these scholarships but if you are willing to do some detective work you will be rewarded with a ton of scholarship opportunities. (...)

Double your scholarship following a few simple steps (08/30/2010)
(...) Not all scholarships are based on financial need You could be the son or daughter of Donald Trump and still win a scholarship. It's true! The reason is because there are two kinds of scholarships available: need-based and meritbased. As the name suggests, need-based scholarships are based on your financial need. (...)

Describe personal challenges in your scholarship application (08/30/2010)
(...) The Sallie Mae Fund also offers the Unmet Need Scholarship Program for students who have unmet financial need, which is the gap between the college cost and the financial aid package. When you write about hardships that you've faced in your application, remember that you need to do more than just describe the challenge. You also need to explain how you have survived or overcome the challenge and what you have learned from the experience. (...)

College applications are also scholarship applications (08/30/2010)
(...) You may be surprised to learn that colleges are always looking for students who match their various scholarship programs. Help them help you by giving them everything they would need to award you a scholarship. Don't let the colleges take away your scholarship money When you win a scholarship, you have to report it to your college. (...)