OfftoCollege.com

Task1:
Monthly Checklist for April

Task 2:
Getting the Financial Award Letter

You should receive your "Financial Award Package" with information on your qualifying financial aid from each school where you have been admitted.

The "Financial Award Package" will show the cost of attendance and the amount of each financial aid award that will be awarded. The difference between the cost and the amount awarded is the portion that the family is expected to contribute towards the cost of education.

The financial aid awards include:

• grants,
• scholarships,
• federally student loans,
• work study programs,
• other college assisted aid
  
  For information about the "Financial Award Package":
  see financial aid note 4
  
  All about financial aid for first-time students:
  information inside — click here
  
  

Financial Aid Review

View these summary charts of financial aid options:
(link to our financial aid center)

• summary aid chart for first-time students (undergrad's)
• summary aid chart for parents
  
  

Understand the financial aid process for student loans, grants, scholarships and other student aid:
see Financial Aid Process

Note 1: understand the financial aid process
Note 2: submitting the FAFSA form for federal aid
Note 3: review the student aid report
Note 4: get the financial award letter
Note 5: view financial aid options
Note 6: apply for and manage student funds

another place to start is our
quick financial aid checklist

Note the Five Ways to Pay for College

1. Scholarships and Grant Aid Programs:
   

   over $24.3 billion
   worth of scholarships and grants in one location

2. Federal Student and Parent Loans:
   federal student and parent PLUS loans are available — view details and options
   view summary note: federal student loans
   view summary note: federal PLUS loans
   
   
3. Private Education Loans:
   need a little extra to cover the full cost? — compare plans
   view summary note: private student loans
   
   
4. Investment 529 Plans:
   investment plans that pay for education — see how they work
   visit our affiliate center at: www.SayPlanning.com for information about 529 plans
   
   
5. Home Equity (Bank Equity Program):
   use the equity in your home to finance all or part of your education without restrictions
   view summary note: home equity loans

Task 3:
Reviewing Important Notes

Time to finalize which school to attend. Use our comparison worksheet to list your schools side-by-side. Determine which school is best for your academic objectives:

this PDF file allows you to compare colleges based on size, student-teacher ratio, and other criteria
download comparison sheet

this Excel spreadsheet allows you to compare cost and aid awarded among colleges
download college cost comparison spreadsheet
(requires MS Excel or other to open)


Need some additional help?
see the September Plan for college comparison guides

You must give your acceptance notice by a certain date — most schools require May 1 deadlines. Remember to submit your deposit to reserve your admission.

Have you arranged housing
Where are go going to live? Who are you going to live with? Need to get going before the best places are taken.

For on-campus:
check with your college of choice. Once you get accepted into college, you need to move fast on on-campus housing arrangements to avoid being placed on a waiting list:

Check with your college web site for on-campus living:
use our college directory to link to your school


For off-campus:
link to our "Moving to College" housing plan for housing search: click here for college housing

Information about fraternities and sororities:
www.greekpages.com
DMOZ open directory on fraternities and sororities:
dmoz.org/.../Fraternities_and_Sororities

Task 4:
Find the Summer Job

Have you found that summer job?

Money earned during the summer can be used for tuition, housing, transportation and fun entertainment.

If you like the job you had last summer, go back and see if you can work with them again. Or try to find a summer job that is in your career interests. This will help you decide if this is the type of career you really want:

• Summer work programs:
  Job listing for teens from many brand-name retail and other name companies:
  www.snagajob.com
  another posting of summer jobs:
  www.summerjobs.com
  job postings exclusively for teens:
  www.teens4hire.org
  
  
  
• Internship Programs:
  internships in your field of interest is a great way to get experience that will help you college
  internships.wetfeet.com
  
  
  
• Search Classified ads in LOCAL PAPERS:
  you will find many local summer jobs through your local online classifieds:
  www.newspaperlinks.com