Planning and paying for a college education is a daunting task for most parents. It is a stressful and costly process that needs a well-thought-out academic and financial strategy. This guide offers just that! Two of the nation's leading college planning and financing experts provide clear step-by-step guidance on how to successfully save, plan for, apply to, and finance a college education. -Age- and grade-appropriate guidance empowers families with children of all ages, with detailed information on preparing, financing, and successfully applying to college. -Financing a college education requires a good look at all available options: savings, free money, financial aid, and loans. Finding the right savings vehicle and investments is important. -Learn the pros and cons of various savings and investment options, including Bank accounts, 529 Plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and more-so you can begin to develop your plan. -Easy-to-understand explanations help parents better understand college loans, including details about federal and private loans, consolidation and refinancing of loans, as well as a discussion on what it means to co-sign a loan. -Based on the expert advice presented in this book, parents will be able to create a personalized college admission and financing plan that is unique to their family.

Planning and paying for a college education is a daunting task for most parents. It is a stressful and costly process that needs a well-thought-out academic and financial strategy. This guide offers just that! Two of the nation's leading college planning and financing experts provide clear step-by-step guidance on how to successfully save, plan for, apply to, and finance a college education. Age- and grade-appropriate guidance empowers families with children of all ages, with detailed information on preparing, financing, and successfully applying to college. Financing a college education requires a good look at all available options: savings, free money, financial aid, and loans. Finding the right savings vehicle and investments is important. Learn the pros and cons of various savings and investment options, including Bank accounts, 529 Plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and more-so you can begin to develop your plan. Easy-to-understand explanations help parents better understand college loans, including details about federal and private loans, consolidation and refinancing of loans, as well as a discussion on what it means to co-sign a loan. Based on the expert advice presented in this book, parents will be able to create a personalized college admission and financing plan that is unique to their family.

Planning and paying for a college education is a daunting task for most parents. It is a stressful and costly process that needs a well-thought-out academic and financial strategy. This guide offers just that! Two of the nation's leading college planning and financing experts provide clear step-by-step guidance on how to successfully save, plan for, apply to, and finance a college education. Age- and grade-appropriate guidance empowers families with children of all ages, with detailed information on preparing, financing, and successfully applying to college. Financing a college education requires a good look at all available options: savings, free money, financial aid, and loans. Finding the right savings vehicle and investments is important. Learn the pros and cons of various savings and investment options, including Bank accounts, 529 Plans, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, and more-so you can begin to develop your plan. Easy-to-understand explanations help parents better understand college loans, including details about federal and private loans, consolidation and refinancing of loans, as well as a discussion on what it means to co-sign a loan. Based on the expert advice presented in this book, parents will be able to create a personalized college admission and financing plan that is unique to their family.

With input from teens, parents, and numerous experts, Teens' Guide to College & Career Planning knows just how to talk to high school students about the important decisions involving life after graduation. This easy-to-read guide, with updated content, enables busy students to hone in on the right information for them. Whether it's mapping the road from high school to college, figuring out financial aid, determining if joining the military is the right move, preparing for an interview, or developing early career skills, Teens' Guide addresses each option available to young adults with meaningful information. Inside you'll find valuable advice from guidance counselors, instructors, college admission officials, military officers, and-most importantly-other high school students! Also includes, expert tips for interviews, resumes, and cover letters. With new content written by Justin Muchnick, current high school junior and author of Peterson's® The Boarding School Survival Guide, this guide will help you get ready for life after high school.

“The College Solution helps readers look beyond over-hyped admission rankings to discover schools that offer a quality education at affordable prices. Taking the guesswork out of saving and finding money for college, this is a practical and insightful must-have guide for every parent!” —Jaye J. Fenderson, Seventeen’s College Columnist and Author, Seventeen’s Guide to Getting into College “This book is a must read in an era of rising tuition and falling admission rates. O’Shaughnessy offers good advice with blessed clarity and brevity.” —Jay Mathews, Washington Post Education Writer and Columnist “I would recommend any parent of a college-bound student read The College Solution.” —Kal Chany, Author, The Princeton Review’s Paying for College Without Going Broke “The College Solution goes beyond other guidebooks in providing an abundance of information about how to afford college, in addition to how to approach the selection process by putting the student first.” —Martha “Marty” O’Connell, Executive Director, Colleges That Change Lives “Lynn O’Shaughnessy always focuses on what’s in the consumer’s best interest, telling families how to save money and avoid making costly mistakes.” —Mark Kantrowitz, Publisher, FinAid.org and Author, FastWeb College Gold “An antidote to the hype and hysteria about getting in and paying for college! O’Shaughnessy has produced an excellent overview that demystifies the college planning process for students and families.” —Barmak Nassirian, American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers For millions of families, the college planning experience has become extremely stressful. And, unless your child is an elite student in the academic top 1%, most books on the subject won’t help you. Now, however, there’s a college guide for everyone. In The College Solution, top personal finance journalist Lynn O’Shaughnessy presents an easy-to-use roadmap to finding the right college program (not just the most hyped) and dramatically reducing the cost of college, too. Forget the rankings! Discover what really matters: the quality and value of the programs your child wants and deserves. O’Shaughnessy uncovers “industry secrets” on how colleges actually parcel out financial aid—and how even “average” students can maximize their share. Learn how to send your kids to expensive private schools for virtually the cost of an in-state public college...and how promising students can pay significantly less than the “sticker price” even at the best state universities. No other book offers this much practical guidance on choosing a college...and no other book will save you as much money! • Secrets your school’s guidance counselor doesn’t know yet The surprising ways colleges have changed how they do business • Get every dime of financial aid that’s out there for you Be a “fly on the wall” inside the college financial aid office • U.S. News & World Report: clueless about your child Beyond one-size-fits-all rankings: finding the right program for your teenager • The best bargains in higher education Overlooked academic choices that just might be perfect for you

Organized both chronologically by stage of life and by issues, this book by the author of Money Doesn't Grow on Trees offers practical, simple strategies for choosing everything from housing to schools to child care. Worksheets designed to help parents prepare for future significant expenditures, both expected and unexpected, are included.