If you’ve graduated from college, you’ve probably gotten plenty of offers to “consolidate” your student loans. How can you discern trustworthy lenders from those just trying to make a profit off of you?
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Budget Student's Guide to Life After College
When you reach the end of your college career, your path once again opens in front of you. Many low- and middle-income students feel pressured to immediately get a job in order to help support their family and to begin paying off their debt. But that’s not the only post-grad option available. With planning and financial savvy, there are just as many opportunities for students on a budget as for their big-bucks peers:
Find ways to pay for college
There are several ways to pay for college, even if you don’t think you can afford tuition.
Budget Student's Guide to Academics
Depending on your educational history, you may or may not feel that you are as academically prepared for college work as your peers. Some people come into college having been trained by top-notch private or magnet schools and are instantly ready to take on upper-division college courses. Others find that their high school education left them lagging behind their peers. If you fall into the latter category, you may feel that you need a little extra help to catch up.
Getting More for Less in College
It’s no big secret that college is expensive. Despite the mounting costs of tuition and living fees, college students don’t want to live the life of the stereotypical starving undergrad. They want to be able to go to concerts and restaurants, own iPods and DVDs, and get new clothes to replace ones that are ripped at the seams—and they want all these things cheaply.
Getting Cash for College
As a student who’s on a budget, you’ve probably given some thought to how you’ll acquire extra spending money. Financial aid and scholarships may cover the major expenses like tuition and housing, but in all likelihood you’ll want some extra cash for gas, movie tickets, dinners, clothes, and personal essentials. So where should you look?
Budget Student's Guide to Financial Aid
The forms, applications, and documents that are required by financial aid offices can seem endless, and the process at times impossible. And unfortunately, it is something you get to deal with every year during school. When your frustration level rises, though, try to remember that the point of it all is to provide you with an opportunity that you could not otherwise afford.
Building Good Credit: Start small and start early
When you’re young, it’s easy to forget about that shadowy little concept known as credit. Unpaid bills and outstanding credit card statements may seem like something to shrug off, but they can quickly creep up and put a stain on your credit that will haunt you for a long time. So how do you avoid a financial faux pas and build good credit?
Thrift Shopping: Where To Buy Cheap Groceries
Thrifty Shopping: Where to buy what you need
Student’s Guide To Choosing a College Major
Finances will likely play a role in the individual classes you choose and the major (and potential future plans) around which you organize your efforts and interests. Here are a couple of things to consider when deciding between underwater basket weaving and that math/economics double major.