What to do if you are short on financial aid

So you've applied to college, been accepted, and gotten a look at your financial aid package. You do the math and realize you are short of paying for everything. What are you going to do?

Well, you can ask the financial aid office for another look, maybe a better offer. Click here for tips on getting more financial aid.

After that, there are a few things the college student can do to make the bottom line look better.

First thing is to be first in line. Apply early. Colleges have a more limited supply of funds to give out and may run out if you delay.

Think about changing schools, if it's not too late. Many colleges are offering out of state students money as an incentive to come to their college. Some large private colleges actually have more money to give out. So even though the cost is higher, it will be cheaper for you in the long run.

Don't overlook the scholarship search. It may take some of your time, but working on finding scholarships in this economy is worth it. And there are many scholarships that go overlooked. You can do a free college scholarship search here, or learn ways of finding scholarships here.

Colleges have what they call merit scholarships to current students who have high GPAs. So, pump up your studying and get good grades.

And the easiest way to make up a shortage of college money. Spend less. This means everything from transportation, to books, and dorms to food. Read 30 ways to cut college costs.

The bottom line, is that your bottom line may look deep, but with a little extra work, you can make up for a college cash crunch.

College Degrees that get jobs

With unemployment still high, many people are looking at all options for jobs. Going back to college can be a great idea, and a ticket to a high paying, in demand career. Here are a few college degrees that are sought after and can lead to a quick, decent paying job.

The medical field is still growing, and growing rapidly. You don't need to be a nurse or doctor to get into this field. A quick two year degree in medical assisting can get you work in a doctors office or related business. Medical assistants perform various clinical tasks, and some clerical. These positions will continue to grow as the medical field expands and gets more technical.

A law degree takes years. But most law offices need legal groundwork. This is done mostly by paralegals. Becoming a paralegal is as short as a two year degree. Any law office utilizes these trained professionals, from public district attorneys, to private law firms. Law research is what they do, and your degree will make you an expert at it. Some firms have internships as well to gain experience.

The computer world is still perhaps the fastest growing segment. You will probably need a bachelor's degree in information technology, or computer science. If you already have a year or two of college under your belt, think about a computer science degree. Anything from information technology to information systems and security is in high demand. It is a tough degree to complete, but has some of the best starting salaries around.

Anything business related is always hot. And a bad economy fuels the need for more. An MBA is not required. A bachelors degree in business will suffice as a starting point. Starting pay and demand is quite high in relation to other degrees. Switching to business after starting college is not hard. Yes, it could even lead you to get an MBA and be well ahead of the pack of job seekers.

If college is an option, no reason to just pick any degree. The degrees above will almost lead to guaranteed jobs. And high paying ones at that!

>>Average teachers salary.

>>Become a teacher.


>>Can you afford to go to college?

College students can save money by not buying these things

Let's face it. College is expensive. Most college students squeak by on a meager budget. One thing they realize is that tuition is not the only cost. Other things can add up. Many students don't even realize how expensive other things can be. So here are a few items that college students should try and not buy. Every penny saved is a penny back in your pocket.

Leave the car at home. Better yet. Sell it and pocket the cash. The college fees for parking are probably going to cost $50 a month. Or more. And your car will mostly sit. You still have to pay insurance, and car insurance for college students is not cheap. You will be tempted to take trips on the weekend, further costing you money. No doubt a car will end up costing most college students a couple of hundred dollars a month. If you insist on driving in college, here are some lower car insurance tips.

College students do not need the latest fashions. You're going to spend the majority of your time on campus. Buy some used clothes and forget the name brands. Nobody in college will notice anyway. Every student will have unique way of dressing. If you buy new, buy from the cheaper store and skip the brand names.

Textbooks are a huge expense. So, how about trying NOT to buy them. You can rent them from various places now. Many e-readers have textbook versions for a fraction of the cost. But, the best way is to avoid buying them at all. How? Well, show up to class before you buy books. See if the ones on the list are really necessary. If not, and you can still pass the class, don't buy them. Your college library will have copies of all needed books. Most of these cannot be checked out, so copies remain in the library. Get to the library during off hours, and chances are nobody will be using them. You can also check out used book stores to see if an older version works just as well. These would be very cheap. Meet people in the class who have a textbook, and study with them. Here are more tips on saving on textbooks.

College students do not need a lot of notebooks and paper anymore. Most things that used to be passed out, like a syllabus, are now online. You might even do homework online. Maybe you can take notes with your computer. Wait until the first few classes to start and find out exactly how much paper and notebooks you need. Don't wast money on school supplies.

>>Tips for more financial aid.

Car insurance: Students can get better rates.

College students feel the need to drive a car, but a car and expenses that you can incur, like insurance, can break a college budget. The best thing a college student can do is to not have a car. But, many times that's a solution that is not heeded. There are things one can do to lower their auto insurance rates.

Check your current auto policy for any extras that are charged for. Like roadside assistance, towing, and other things that are not really part of the insurance for your car. Drop these and your payments should be lower.

College students may be eligible for good grade discounts. Check with your insurance company and make sure you are getting all discounts, including good driver.

Increasing your deductible can really take a chunk out of your car insurance costs. Try and go for the biggest deductible that you can get. You can probably save hundreds of dollars a year on this alone.

Only pay for the coverage you need. Many insurance companies offer different levels of coverage. Anywhere from minimum coverage, to maybe a gold standard. The top package will include many things, but the cost goes up accordingly. These things can include rental cars, deductible waivers, pick up and drop off, and many other things. The lowest coverage will be the cheapest. Just be sure that what the lowest coverage is will satisfy the state in which you will be attending college accepts.

You have probably seen the many auto insurance commercials about how switching will save you money. It's true in some cases. If you are unhappy with your insurance rates, shop the big companies and see who has the best deal. You may be able to actually save some serious money.

New technology is allowing insurance companies to monitor your driving habits. If you are comfortable with this, you could get a discount.

The bottom line is to make driving a car in college cheap. Get the most discounts you can to save as much money as you can.

Many prospective college students are now considering where to go to school in the Fall. While cars are not really needed in college, many students want them. In addition, many students will be driving cross-country to their new college homes, thus having a car while in college. A student that has a car has an extra expense. This expense can break your budget. You may want to consider your college choices if you do have a car and money is tight. Some states charge more on average than others. Do some research to find where rates are cheaper.

One of the biggest expenses college students can have is a car. Gas, upkeep, and car insurance can add up. If you insist on having a car while in college, beware of what auto insurance companies can do. Don't take the first policy offered by someone who is an agent or even the company. They are trying to sell you the best car insurance policy for them, not you. Ask for a cheaper rate or how you can lower the auto insurance they are offering Talk to more than one agent as well. If they know you are comparing policies, they will offer cheaper ones up front. If you are under 25, forget a really cheap policy. No matter what, car insurance companies do like under 25 age drivers. Car insurance companies are checking your credit history now. Bad credit may get you a higher policy or even none. If you currently have insurance, it can pay to shop around. But many auto insurance companies will not cancel your present coverage, even after you get a new one from a different company. In fact, they may even bill you for the premiums and report you as being past due to a credit agency. We know that sounds crazy, but it does happen. Don't cancel your policy until you have a new one. A lapse in coverage may make you uninsurable to the next company. Auto insurance companies have a policy cancellation form. Use it. Make sure your new policy starts at exactly the same time your current policy is canceled.

Creating a Resume: Things have changed

If you are a recent college graduate, or anyone else job-hunting, you are probably sending out quite a few resumes. In the past, there were little things that you were supposed to do. Well, times have changed. Resumes have been taken into the age of the internet and doing business online. Remember, the companies you work for are probably not standing still. They have the latest technology and their employees and managers are using it. In addition, logic has taken over the resume world.

For instance, you no longer need to include anything about your career goal or objective. The person hiring you does not need to know that, nor do they care. They only care if you are the perfect person for the job you are being interviewed for. In fact, putting a career goal or objective might counter what job is being offered. The hiring manager might scratch you off the list because you won't stay long. You should certainly emphasize your abilities and talents.

The days of mailing your resume are long gone. If you mail a resume, chances are it will sit at the bottom of a pile somewhere, until it gets tossed with the trash. Do not waste time and money on fancy resume paper, envelopes, or mailing fees. Resumes are now sent electronically.

In the past, people put every job they held on their resume. There no longer is a need to do so. It just fills up the resume with unneeded information. Certainly your last employer may be something to put, and one or two other jobs that highlight your skills and experience. But you don't need to account for each and every job you've held.

References on a resume are something else that is not needed anymore. You don't even have to put the over used line, references available on request. Every hiring manager that needs them is going to automatically dig for references.

Those last two tips bring up the last one. You can make your resume anywhere from one to two pages. A one page resume is fine. A two page resume is fine. Don't make your resume longer than two pages however. You need to fine tune it. But many people have a hard time putting it on just one page. In the past, a one page resume was the standard. This is no longer the case. Add another page if you need to.

>>Tips to finding a job after graduating.

>>Job interview tips.

3 ways to cut the cost of a college degree

College is expensive. Tuition rates are going up due to budget cuts. Many prospective college students and their parents are trying hard to figure out ways to finance the education. Before you scramble your finances, did you know that there are ways to almost instantly cut your college costs? By quite a large margin?

If you are still in high school and planning your junior or senior year, think about taking AP classes. These classes have the potential to give you college credit for a high school class. These classes will be tougher, but they will also teach you study skills needed for college. You will have to get a passing score on the AP exam at the end of the class. Did you know that getting credit for AP classes can lead to more scholarship money? One big reason to take an AP class is that it counts as a college class. One that you would have spent time and money on in college. That's right. Tuition is expensive. By eliminating classes you need to take, you instantly lower the cost of a degree. It has also been shown that students taking AP classes are more likely to finish college in four years, unlike others. Talk to your school counselor for more information.

Speaking of not having to pay for college classes, have you heard of CLEP? The College-Level Examination Program, or CLEP, gives you college credit for taking a test. Why take a class if you already know it? There are 33 examinations for college credit in a wide range of subjects. The cost of the test at this moment is less than $80. You could get credit for a whole class for that price. Many colleges and universities charge $300-$500 for each unit! A 3 unit class would cost a minimum of $900! Keep in mind too, that many colleges are now limiting the number of units you can take each term. They used to be quite generous. They would charge you per unit up to a level of around 15, then anything over that was the same price. They are now limiting how many untis you can take. Instead of being able to take 21 units, you are maxed at 16. The less classes you need, the better and cheaper for you!

Much is made about where you graduate from college. It might be true in rare cases, most often it does not matter where you graduate from. If worse comes to worse, pick the cheapest, closest college that fits your needs. But before you think about graduating, think about the first two years. The first two years of general education are probably the same no matter what your major. You can do the first two years at a local community college for very cheap. The tuition will be thousands of dollars less. Many local junior colleges have agreements of guaranteed admission with some state colleges if they graduate from the two year school. You can also earn an associate degree in probably something in or close to your major. Not only will thins save money, but the degree will look good on your resume. Most community colleges allow high school seniors, some juniors, to take college classes. Get these classes out of the way now, and you graduate sooner. Graduating sooner means less money out of your pocket!

If your goal is to get a degree, and you are willing to look at all options, you can make college cheaper!

How to pick a college degree

Picking a college degree can be one of the most important decisions you make in your life. It can mean the difference between getting a job, getting well paid, and make college worth it. Choose wrongly, and it is difficult to recover. Going back to school is not a thing that college graduates look forward to.

One of the best things you can do is wait. Be patient. Many students do have a degree picked out, but many don't and are pressured. Even those that pick a degree before entering college have second thoughts and go through many changes before settling on exactly the right one. You can generally take the first two years of college, get your general education and graduation requirements done during this time. You normally do not have to declare a major when you first enter college anyway. After the first year, you will have a better feel as to your college life, aptitude, study habits, and overall ability to handle college. During the first year, do some serious thinking about what degree to go for.

It is up to you, and you alone, to pick a degree. Don't let others pick one for you. Only you know what you are capable of and can handle. You know your interests. You know what kind of lifestyle you want. You know where you want to live. Your lifestyle, habits, ability, work ethic, and adaptability all factor into a college degree choice. See college counselors early and often. Read the college catalog as to what classes are required for majors. Most majors require some classes outside the major as adjunct to the degree. Like a foreign language or math class as a requirement for the degree. You may like the major classes, but what about the other requirements? How long will it actually take you to finish? You know your weaknesses as well.

A job is a critical reason for getting a degree. Find out what majors pay the most, and the least. Find out which majors are fairly easy, or fairly hard. What college majors are getting the job offers at the moment? There is no reason to get a degree in any major if you are stuck working as a waitress because there are no jobs in your major available. Look to the future as well. Find companies and industries that are growing and their workforce is needed. Gear your degree to something you like, can handle, and get a job with.

You also may need to think outside the box. Some degrees can cover a lot of bases. Companies that are not similar may want the same kinds of people working in their offices. That psychology degree might work in an ad agency looking for people who can analyze reactions.

Remember the reasons for going to college and why you want a degree. Good luck in your choice and choose wisely.

>>College Money Savings Tips.


.
.