Financial Aid Essentials: College Planning Advice from Nelnet Venice CA

Financial Aid Essentials: College Planning Advice from Nelnet

For over 25 years, Nelnet has been helping students and their families pay for college. With a strong emphasis on relationship building and personal customer service, Nelnet knows just about everything that you need to know about finding money to fund your education.

Read on for helpful tips and tools to get you through the planning process.

Dollars and sense: calculating costs
When determining how much a college costs, it's important to remember that expenses go beyond tuition and housing fees. You should also take books, travel expenses, and spending money into account, or you could find yourself in a financial jam throughout your semester.

Start your college financial planning with a thorough assessment of the complete costs associated with each school on your list. This will help you accurately compare expenses down the road when you have financial aid offers from each school.

• Get a head start with Nelnet's helpful planning and budgeting calculator .

Financial aid: Do you qualify?
Covering the cost of higher education can be a challenge. Once you've figured out the price tag on your colleges of choice, it's time to start thinking about financial aid. But how do you know if you qualify?

The process of determining your eligibility starts well before you ever receive an offer of admission.

Author: Amy Ambler

2009 Peterson's, A Nelnet Company. All Rights Reserved

Click here to read more from Petersons