As college acceptance letters starts pouring through the mail, students are now concerned about how to afford their top choice college. Let’s face it; college isn’t easy to pay for. With the economy going downhill, college seems more difficult to pay for; students should take full advantage of getting financial help. Some students will apply for scholarships and some will apply for student loans. Based on a student’s financial standing, the student could receive enough money to pay for most of their college tuition. Either way, students will have to think about a way to help pay for college if they don’t already have their tuition set. There are a few options to help assist a future college student’s tuition.

One option that a lot of students hope to receive is a scholarship. There are many ways a student can earn a scholarship. According to guidance counselor, Mrs. Long, students can apply for Dollars for Scholars, “You just fill out a paper and then mail it back,” she stated. If it’s that easy, then why haven’t more students applied for it? Mrs. Long says that students are lazy and don’t want to waste their time. Applying for a scholarship is that easy! If you as a student don’t want to waste your time then there are many ways to earn that money. Seniors should know by now that the guidance office has a bin full of scholarship opportunities. The endless announcements and counselor talks should have directed you toward the bin. Even going on the internet would help with finding a scholarship that’s right for you. Thesalliemaefund.org and fastweb.com have various opportunities for students. This fund has helped over 6,350 students enroll in college. There is information on First in My Family Scholarship, American Dream Scholarship and Unmet Need Scholarship.

In addition, Federal Aid is increasing this year. The maximum Pell Grant was increased to $5,350 for the 2009-2010 school year, from $4,731 last year, and will grow to $5,550 for the 2010-2011 academic year. FAFSA is a free application for federal student aid. It’s easy to fill out and free. The new online application doesn’t ask questions that don’t apply to the student and provides faster estimates on how much the student can potentially get. According to College Board, students and families have to help pay for college while receiving financial aid. At a cost of $25,000 for college, a student could get around $20,000 in financial aid as long as the family is contributing to the amount. However; students should always aim for scholarships and grants before filing for loans. Loans can take years to pay off and can leave a student and their family in debt. If a student takes a chance to browse through the endless amount of financial opportunities, then they will most likely end up with the help they need during this difficult economic time to attend the college of their choice.