College & Career Planner: Winter 2012 edition
Your guide to paying for college. Financial aid 101, huge scholarship list and limiting your student debt.
How to Limit Student Debt
Frightened by reports of college grads being crushed by student loans? Protect yourself by limiting how much you borrow.
Students who back out of college leave money on the table for you
Every year, prospective students who have committed to a school back out in the 11th hour, a trend commonly known as summer melt.
Go Overseas to Find Yourself: Students claim gap years abroad have greatly influenced their lives.
Jessica Margolis-Pineo had an acceptance letter in hand and was ready to attend Montreal's McGill University in the fall of 2003. However, while embarking on a backpacking trip in Europe after graduating from high school, she couldn't shake the feeling that she'd be missing out on something if she didn't spend more time overseas. She picked up the phone and called McGill, where school officials were willing to defer her admission until the next year.
Be smart about finances in college
When I left home for college, I clearly remember being petrified of using my credit card.
What You Need to Know About Money
What do kids need to know about money when they head off to college? Here's what this year's Kiplinger interns -- Amanda Lilly , Deanna Pan and Michael Stratford -- had to say about key financial issues.
Study Up On Money Matters
When Alexa von Tobel graduated from Harvard in 2006 and was about to take a job on Wall Street, she wondered whether her first savings priority should be retirement or an emergency kitty.
In-State Exceptions: Going to school out of state can be cheaper than staying near home
The hype about colleges' heightened admissions standards and skyrocketing tuition may be drowning out the surprising reality that many affordable public colleges in less populated areas are eager for students and are willing to cut good deals.
Best colleges for entrepreneurship
Ready to make millions on your own invention?
Just Visiting (For Now): What to Do On Campus
I remember visiting colleges to try to see if a school would be the right fit for me.
College calculators blur costs
When it comes to estimating the cost of college, sticker shock may now be replaced with sticker confusion.
Bright Futures changes
According to Florida Department of Education, students are required to submit a complete, error-free FAFSA for Bright Futures, Florida Resident Access Grant, and ABLE Grants. No FAFSA = No Money.
Going for merit money
Filling out the FAFSA is a good first step in any student's quest for institutional financial aid. The government form calculates your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and helps to determine whether you'll qualify for many types of need-based funding, including aid from your college or university.
Financial Aid 101: Fill Out the FAFSA
Wondering how you'll pay for college? Start by filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). If you don't, it could cost you thousands in grants, work-study, low-interest federal loans and need-based scholarships. It is also required for Bright Futures scholarships.
Major money-makers
According to a major study in 2011 by the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce, the top 10 baccalaureate majors with the highest median earnings are: petroleum engineering, $120,000; pharmacy/pharmaceutical sciences, $105,000; mathematics and computer sciences, $98,000; aerospace engineering, $87,000; chemical engineering, $86,000; electrical engineering, $85,000, naval architecture/marine engineering, $82,000; mechanical engineering, $80,000; metallurgical engineering, $80,000; mining and mineral engineering, $80,000.
