Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Get the Money You Need 13
Get the money you need 14
How this book will help you cut your tuition bill 14
How to read this book 15
What are you waiting for? Let's get started! 16
Chapter 2 Best Places to Find Scholarships for Adults 19
Extra! Adult student scholarships do exist! 20
Reality check 20
Lena's story 21
The golden rule of scholarships 24
Looking for scholarships in your community 25
What is the purpose of the scholarship essay? 31
How do I write a winning scholarship essay? 36
Don't ignore your college or university 39
Aren't all scholarships based on financial need? 40
Searching beyond your community 44
How do I describe my accomplishments to impress the judges? 60
How do I actually win a scholarship? 64
Chapter 3 Scholarships Just for Adult Students 67
Ardella's story 68
Scholarships for adult students 71
Scholarship drawings 76
Chapter 4 Maximize Your Federal Financial Aid 79
Getting your share of federal financial aid 80
Jane and Marilou's story 81
Getting started with financial aid 83
What is the timeline for applying for financial aid? 84
How to determine your financial need 84
What counts as expenses 88
Where do I get the FAFSA? 89
Lower your Expected Family Contribution 90
When should I apply for financial aid? 97
Chapter 5 Borrowing the Money You Need 103
Investing in your education 104
Diane's story 105
Student loan programs 108
Private student loans 117
Can I ever get my student loan totally forgiven? 119
Chapter 6 Money from Your State 123
Getting money from your state government 124
Jacqueline's story 124
What your state offers 126
State aid programs 128
What can I get from my state higher education agency? 137
Chapter 7 Money from Your College 143
Money from your college 144
Stephanie's story 145
Hitting up your college for money 147
Pam's story 155
How should I contact the financial aid office to ask for a reassessment? 159
Chapter 8 Get Your Employer to Pay 163
Get your employer to pay 164
Alan's story 165
Why would my company pay for my education? 167
What do these education benefits look like? 167
Chapter 9 Take Advantage of Retraining Programs 173
Take advantage of retraining programs 174
Dawn's story 174
Federal and state retraining programs 176
Chapter 10 Earn Credit for Life Experiences 181
Earn credit for life experiences 182
Jane's story 183
Earn college credit to graduate early 185
Chapter 11 Be a Part-Time Student 191
Working and studying at the same time 192
Jennifer's story 192
Part-time options 195
What should I look for when selecting a part-time program? 199
Chapter 12 Smart Saving Strategies for College 201
Saving for college 202
Roberta's story 203
Why you should consider your state's 529 Plan 209
Make a super gift to your 529 Savings Plan 209
How to choose a 529 Savings Plan 209
Don't stop saving once you're in college 211
Chapter 13 Tax Breaks for Students 217
Get your tax dollars back 218
Paula's story 218
The no double-dipping rule 220
What's the difference between a tax credit and deduction? 225
Chapter 14 Loan Forgiveness Programs 229
Have your student loans forgiven 230
Hee's story/231
National loan repayment and scholarship for service programs 233
State loan forgiveness programs 238
Chapter 15 Military Education Benefits 249
Soldiering your way to an education 250
Charles and Arthur's story 250
The Montgomery GI Bill 253
Randall's story 257
Special military and veteran scholarships 259
Can I go to college at the same time I am in the military? 263
Chapter 16 Avoid Financial Aid Scams 265
Keeping your money safe 266
Arnold's story 266
Why do so many scammers succeed? 270
Chapter 17 You Can Do It 273
You can do it 274
Index 277