Starting Your College Plans? Our Off-to-College center offers a complete guide for planning and getting into college. The college planning center has been easily segmented into different guides for college prep, college and university search, college submission, college financing and college move. It also includes planning calendars so that you can stay on track for meeting college preparation and submission deadlines. Our goal is to provide you information you need to make smart college planning decisions.

Five key areas segment our site:

1: College Planning Guides

College guides to help capture the information you need to make informed decisions:

• high school students —
  Freshman through Seniors — with greater emphasis on the college planning season for high school seniors. You will find a simple step-by-step college guide that links to information you need to plan your college and after-college careers.
  
  The college guide includes a detailed planning calendar segmented by weeks. Each week highlights key college planning tasks in order to prepare, search, and submit college application forms within required deadlines. The college planning calendars begin for high school Juniors through Seniors.
  
  
• graduate students —
  and professional programs — with links and preparation guides to graduate programs and application requirements. Review what is needed to complete your program at the best overall value.
  
  
• continuing-ed students —
  adult learning, continuing education, and advanced classes — for individuals looking to expand their skills set and knowledge. Provides a directory of distant learning programs that can be completed online.
  
  
• K-12 students —
  college education prep — resource information for getting the best education for your child. Includes a directory of illustrated books for education learning and advancement.

2: College Search

Use our complete directory of colleges and universities from around the country. You will have total access to the college search directory without user registration:

• search colleges and universities —
  complete listing of colleges and universities segmented by state and alphabetical listing. Simply click on the state where you would like to go and find all colleges and universities within that state.
  
  
• community colleges —
  complete directory of community colleges segmented by state and city. You simple select the state and sort the listing by community college or by city.
  
  
• online programs —
  an extensive listing of online programs and degrees from the top-names schools in the country. You may search your program by degree type of field of collegiate study.
  
  
• career schools —
  for those looking for career and vocational programs - select type program and search a complete directory of vocational school from across the country.

3: Student Financial Aid Guide

View our complete summary list and student financial aid notes for paying college expenses. Everything you need to know has been summarized under different financial aid options. Example:

• review the financial aid charts: —
  start with this quick financial aid charts that summarize the financial aid options for undergraduates, graduates, continuing education and parents.
  
  
• understand the college aid process: —
  go over these six quick notes summarizing the financial aid process
  
  
• view college money options: —
  view financial aid aid options that include grants, loans, work-study, military service and other financial aid options
  
  plus much more at our financial aid center

4: Moving to College Guide

A complete directory of ideas and tips for making a successful move to college. Example:

• find college housing: —
  tips on what you need to do to find on-campus or off-campus student housing. Includes links for coping with roommates.
  
  
• get college transportation: —
  how are you going to get around campus? Tips on getting an auto, motorbike or other.
  
  
• buy things for the college dorm: —
  start with clothes, then your computer and end up with things for the bed, kitchen and bath. Includes a college moving checklist that summarized everything you might need at college.
  
  
• taking care of essentials: —
  finding a bank and other money processing needs including insurance, credit and other
  
  plus much more including a FREE college packing checklist

5: College Planning Tools

We have plenty of college planning tools that are available FREE without user registration. You simply click on the tool you can use:

• financial aid road map: —
  one page map that summarizes the financial aid process. It provides instant links to our web site for financial aid information.
  
  
• college planning sheets: —
  sheets for your notebook that allow you to note college name, address, submission requirements, financial aid information, etc. It is nicely organized so that you can research and record the information you need in your college search.
  
  
• college cost comparison worksheet: —
  use this worksheet to compare colleges as it relates to submission requirements and costs. It will help narrow down your search for colleges that give you the best value.
  
  
• college budgeting worksheet: —
  use this budgeting worksheet to plan and budget your financial aid and expense costs for each year in college. It also provides room to record your aid information that will be useful for each academic year.
  
  plus many more college planning tools