Guide to Education Grants

Another Student Loan Resource:
Now that the dust has settled a bit and many students either are finished or wrapping up the fall 2006 semester, it is time to consider exactly where they stand financially. Depending on how much planning goes into the mix, some students may be feeling hunger pangs regarding their dwindling funds, wondering if they have enough to carry them through spring and summer.
 
There are many options that students can pursue each with their own pluses and minuses. Now is a great time to start planning ahead, although many rather would indulge in holiday festivities and the latest New Year’s Eve bash. It is best to keep college funding choices at the forefront of your mind, so that upon return to campus in January you have a good idea of what to do to get the money you need.
 
Consider Your Options
 
Part-time jobs. Lots of students have them. You go to work, sweat through the week and in the end, collect your check. It is a quick and simple solution to your money dilemma, but it may not be easy. Some campuses are located in huge metropolitan areas with an incredible array of jobs that pay well. Smaller private schools may not have many decent paying off-campus opportunities. If you don’t have a car, this might not be for you.
 
Become an entrepreneur. If you are a business or marketing major, this may be your ticket. Remember the neighborhood kid selling lemonade on the corner or mowing lawns during the summer? Was that you? Even if it was not and you are a creative thinker, there are many things you could do on the side to earn extra cash. Here are some ideas: give haircuts, have a computer repair service, do others’ laundry for a fee, start an income tax service, tutor other students, or form a CD/video game exchange service.
 
Get free money. We’re talking scholarships and grants that you never have to repay. The only catch is you have to “do the time to get the dime.” You will need to be persistent researching your best options and then applying for the appropriate grants and scholarships. NextStudent, the Phoenix-based education funding company, offers its Scholarship Search Engine to make it easy to look for scholarships. The online database features in excess of 42,000 college funding sources with more than 2.4 million scholarships valued at more than $3.4 billion. You can get started by going to: http://www.nextstudent.com/scholarship_search/scholarship_search.asp.
 
Cover Your Bases and Get the Money You Need
 
Also, check with your campus financial aid office when you get back to college. They may have private, locally funded grants or scholarships that still are available, just waiting for the right student to apply. Whatever method you choose to pursue, give yourself a break for the next couple of weeks. Then put together a plan that suits you and follow it to the funds that you need.
 
The student loan advisers at NextStudent are helpful and knowledgeable about student loans. They are a trusted source in getting you the appropriate information about your student loan consolidation, student loan options and helping students get the college financing they need. Go to www.nextstudent.com for more information.
 
Be sure to tune in next Thursday for my next blog on student loan advice.
 
Student Loan Girl
 
 

This entry was posted on Sunday, December 17th, 2006 at 9:22 am and is filed under Student Loans. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.