by Jeff Cohen (NAPSA)—In the current economy, making small changes to save money can mean a lot. These tips for college parents can add up to more moneyin the family’s pocket. Know Your Options—Financial aid and student loan rates and options fluctuate constantly, and new scholarships are posted throughout the entire school year, offering assistance to students in good standing. Just Like New—Check into refurbished computers before you splurge on the newest laptop. ; Smart Service —Consider starting a prepaid cellular plan so that your student is aware of a fixed cost each month. Buy Textbooks Online—Don’t just Cohen race to the campus bookstore to get your books. Purchasing used textbooks online or from other students can produce a high-quality textbook and cut up to 50 percent off the cover price with very few variations in each edition. Save yourself time and money by using an online textbook search engine. Sites such as CampusBooks.com are customized to search dozens of bookstores, thousands of sellers and millions of new and used textbooks to find you the lowest textbook prices on the Internet, making sure you don’t overpay at the campus bookstore. Eat Smart—Schools offer a variety of meal programs and options for students. Jeff Cohen is a former college student, a parent of future college students and vice president for CampusBooks.com.
