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College Money blog moves
This college money blog has been moved to:
The College Money and Financial Aid Blog permanently. Please visit the new blog or check out more of our college money articles.
>>30 ways to save money in college.
Graduate School Admission and Financial Aid Tips
New article posted on getting into grad school and financing it.
Graduate School admission and financial aid tips
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>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
Out of state college students getting a better shake
Because of budget cuts, many state colleges and universities are looking for ways to increase revenue.
At virtually all state colleges and universities across the country charge much more tuition for an out of state resident.
How does this affect you? Well, it could if you are an in-state resident applying to a state school that is looking to increase revenue.
Because they get much more tuition from an out of state resident, you had better be at the top of your game.
Otherwise, all things being equal, the school might admit someone who will and can pay more in tuition.
Not fair, true. And probably the colleges that are doing this are doing it on the sly. That’s why you need to be diligent in your college choice.
If a private college offers you more in financial aid, it may be cheaper to attend a private school.
And here’s another rub. Turn abouts fair play. Look at state colleges in states other than the one you live in. You paying more may be the push you need to get accepted!
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>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
College Money Secrets
New article for college students and money:
College Money Secrets: Little known ways of getting college cash
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>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
Are College Test Prep Courses Worth it?
Billions of dollars are spent each year by prospective college students on various test preparation courses. Millions of students enroll in classes and buy books to help improve their scores on tests like the SAT and ACT.
But is it money well spent?
One thing is for sure. You do not want to go take the SAT or ACT test without some type of preparation. Either trying sample questions or even enrolling in a test prep class.
That is the key. Can you prepare yourself without spending money on a test prep course? The answer is of course. There are many places on the net, including the test sites themselves that will give out free sample questions. To improve your scores, practice, practice, practice!
But getting back to those college test prep courses. Are they worth it? The National Association for College Admission Counseling has recently stated that students who took a test prep course improved their SAT scores on average by 30 points. On the ACT, a test prep course had an average increase of 1 point.
Overall, those statistics are very low for any actual improvement as compared to the total points each test has.
Be wary of test prep courses and classes that will claim results that are higher than the ones above.
However, is squeezing out a few more points going to make you a better admission candidate for a college? Maybe. Especially if you are being judged side by side on test scores.
SAT and ACT are just a small part of the college admission process. Spending hard earned money on a test prep course or class may not make much economic sense, or even improve your scores enough to make a noticeable difference.
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>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
Is medical school, nursing school, or other para-medical schools worth the cost?
Medical school can cost upwards of $50,000 a year.
Nursing school is the same as a regular school, but may take longer to do all of the prerequisites and be admitted.
A para-medical school, like medical technology, physical therapy, may be slightly less than medical school, but on the same campuses.
Are all of these worth it?
Nursing school is by far the best bet. There is a nursing shortage in a lot of states, and job security is a plus. Nurses can make up to $80,000 to $100,000 in just a couple of years. That’s a good pay off.
Para-medical schools are basically the same, but may be more expensive to attend. Still, physical therapy and medical technology is a growing field. Good paying jobs are out there.
How about medical or dental school?
The cost is very prohibitive. Not only do you need to get a four year degree first, which can put you in debt at $15,000 a year, but then you do four years medical school at about $50,000.
Yes, medical and dental school financial aid abounds. From loans to grants, and everything in between. But most students will borrow nearly $150,000 or so to complete the medical or dental school.
Then for doctors, comes internships and residencies. These can take up to four to eight years to complete. And you don’t make much money while doing that. Your biggest earning years come about 15 to 20 years later. Think about this as you are getting ready to apply to medical school.
Dentists can get to a good job sooner, but still have the debts, and top out lower than most doctors.
There are also many ways to get a student loan forgiven by working in an underserved area or field. But, the pay will be quite low compared to other medical positions.
So, think long and hard about becoming a doctor. It can pay off quite well, but the payoff is normally years down the road.
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Nursing Scholarships
Job Interview Tips
The Job Interview Tips Article has been updated.
Click here for Job Interview Tips
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>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.
Federal student loans are best
More and more, students are skipping the private sector for student loans. They are decreasing every year, and may even soon be gone.
This is not a bad thing. There is so much more perks with a federal loan than a private loan.
With a federal backed student loan, you get a lower interest rate, as well as interest deferrement. Also, when you begin paying it back, you have many options as to how you can pay it back. There are ways to get a lower payment and defferments. Getting a student loan from the government is so much better than a private, non backed one.
The bottom line is, to borrow as little money as you need to, and, make sure you do a federal student loan at all times. If you must get a private loan, you need to negotiate with the terms.
>College Money, Financial Aid, Student Loans, Consolidation, Scholarships.