Chapter 1 Get the Money You Need | p. 13 |
Get the money you need | p. 14 |
How this book will help you cut your tuition bill | p. 14 |
How to read this book | p. 15 |
What are you waiting for? Let's get started! | p. 16 |
Chapter 2 Best Places to Find Scholarships for Adults | p. 19 |
Extra! Adult student scholarships do exist! | p. 20 |
Reality check | p. 20 |
Lena's story | p. 21 |
The golden rule of scholarships | p. 24 |
Looking for scholarships in your community | p. 25 |
What is the purpose of the scholarship essay? | p. 31 |
How do I write a winning scholarship essay? | p. 36 |
Aren't all scholarships based on financial need? | p. 40 |
Don't ignore your college or university | p. 39 |
Searching beyond your community | p. 44 |
How do I describe my accomplishments to impress the judges? | p. 60 |
How do I actually win a scholarship? | p. 64 |
Chapter 3 Scholarships Just for Adult Students | p. 67 |
Ardella's story | p. 68 |
Scholarships for adult students | p. 71 |
Scholarship drawings | p. 77 |
Chapter 4 Maximize Your Federal Financial Aid | p. 79 |
Getting your share of federal financial aid | p. 80 |
Jane and Marilou's story | p. 81 |
Getting started with financial aid | p. 83 |
What is the timeline for applying for financial aid? | p. 84 |
How to determine your financial need | p. 84 |
What counts as expenses | p. 88 |
Where do I get the FAFSA? | p. 89 |
Lower your Expected Family Contribution | p. 90 |
When should I apply for financial aid? | p. 97 |
Chapter 5 Borrowing the Money You Need | p. 103 |
Investing in your education | p. 104 |
Diane's story | p. 105 |
Student loan programs | p. 108 |
Private student loans | p. 117 |
Can I ever get my student loan totally forgiven? | p. 119 |
Chapter 6 Money from Your State | p. 123 |
Getting money from your state government | p. 124 |
Jacqueline's story | p. 124 |
What your state offers | p. 126 |
State aid programs | p. 129 |
What can I get from my state higher education agency? | p. 137 |
Chapter 7 Money from Your College | p. 147 |
Money from your college | p. 148 |
Stephanie's story | p. 149 |
Hitting up your college for money | p. 151 |
Pam's story | p. 159 |
How should I contact the financial aid office to ask for a reassessment? | p. 163 |
Chapter 8 Get Your Employer to Pay | p. 167 |
Get your employer to pay | p. 168 |
Alan's story | p. 169 |
Why would my company pay for my education? | p. 171 |
What do these education benefits look like? | p. 171 |
Chapter 9 Take Advantage of Retraining Programs | p. 177 |
Take advantage of retraining programs | p. 178 |
Dawn's story | p. 178 |
Federal and state retraining programs | p. 180 |
Chapter 10 Earn Credit for Life Experiences | p. 185 |
Earn credit for life experiences | p. 186 |
Jane's story | p. 187 |
Earn college credit to graduate early | p. 189 |
Chapter 11 Be a Part-Time Student | p. 195 |
Working and studying at the same time | p. 196 |
Jennifer's story | p. 196 |
Part-time options | p. 199 |
What should I look for when selecting a part-time program? | p. 203 |
Chapter 12 Smart Saving Strategies for College | p. 205 |
Saving for college | p. 206 |
Roberta's story | p. 207 |
Why you should consider your state's 529 Plan | p. 214 |
Make a super gift to your 529 Savings Plan | p. 214 |
How to choose a 529 Savings Plan | p. 214 |
Don't stop saving once you're in college | p. 216 |
Chapter 13 Tax Breaks for Students | p. 223 |
Get your tax dollars back | p. 224 |
Paula's story | p. 224 |
The no double-dipping rule | p. 226 |
What's the difference between a tax credit and deduction? | p. 231 |
Chapter 14 Loan Forgiveness Programs | p. 235 |
Have your student loans forgiven | p. 236 |
Hee's story | p. 237 |
National loan repayment and scholarship for service programs | p. 239 |
State loan forgiveness programs | p. 243 |
Chapter 15 Military Education Benefits | p. 253 |
Soldiering your way to an education | p. 254 |
Charles and Arthur's story | p. 254 |
The Montgomery GI Bill | p. 257 |
Randall's story | p. 261 |
Special military and veteran scholarships | p. 263 |
Can I go to college at the same time I am in the military? | p. 267 |
Chapter 16 Avoid Financial Aid Scams | p. 269 |
Keeping your money safe | p. 270 |
Arnold's story | p. 270 |
Why do so many scammers succeed? | p. 274 |
Chapter 17 You Can Do It | p. 277 |
You can do it | p. 277 |
Index | p. 281 |