Dollars And Sense: How To Find More MoneyForCollege (NAPSA)—If your son or daughter is about to becomea col- lege freshman—or, you are a senior moving on to graduate school— there are many waysto ease the financial burden of the increased cost of higher education. According to Amanda Joyner, Vice President and General Manager of Monster Youth, “A student’s best bet is to explore as many scholarship opportunities as possible, because after all, it is free money. Parents and students should be diligent when searching for these opportunities, but hopeful, as many would be surprised to learn thereis over $3 billion in educational scholarships available.” Students can find some creative waysto finance their education. companies offer scholarships to employees. For example, to qualify The U.S. Census Bureau re- for the McDonald’s USA National financial aid from outside their ment at McDonald’s for at least four continuous monthsfor a mini- ports that more than half of college students receive some form of families to help pay for educationrelated costs. Where can parents and students uncover funds to avoid “penny-pinching” while in school? Consider thesetips: Renewable and Second-Year Scholarships—Winning a scholarship as a freshmanis beneficial, but what about the next three years? Students should ask if their scholarship is renewable. If so, these awards can be extended beyond the initial year—in some cases, for an entire college career. Similarly, students often stop looking for additional funding once school begins. There are a plethora of scholarshipsstill available after the first year is com- plete, so it is important to maintain a continuous search. Employer Scholarships— Many students do not consider their employer a source of extra money beyond the standard paycheck, but several large and small Employee Scholarship Program, applicants must maintain employ- mum of 15 hours per week. Each state then selects one student- employee to receive a $1,000 scholarship. Joyner recommends asking a supervisor and checking the com- pany’s Web site to determine whether any opportunities are available. Fast Facts About Loans— The Federal Stafford Loan is the most popular loan for new undergraduate students. Payments are deferred until six months after graduation and borrowers have up to 10 years to repayit. If students are ineligible to receive federal loans, a private or alternative loan can often help cover remaining education expenses. Interested in more scholarship and loan information? Visit www.fastweb.com for the most complete source of local scholar- ships, national scholarships and college-specific scholarships.
