Chapter 1 Get the Money You Need | 13 |
Get the money you need | 14 |
How this book will help you cut your tuition bill | 14 |
How to read this book | 15 |
What are you waiting for? Let's get started! | 16 |
Chapter 2 Best Places to Find Scholarships for Adults | 19 |
Extra! Adult student scholarships do exist! | 20 |
Reality check | 20 |
Lena's story | 21 |
The golden rule of scholarships | 24 |
Looking for scholarships in your community | 24 |
What is the purpose of the scholarship essay? | 31 |
How do I write a winning scholarship essay? | 36 |
Don't ignore your college or university | 38 |
Aren't all scholarships based on financial need? | 40 |
Searching beyond your community | 43 |
How do I describe my accomplishments to impress the judges? | 60 |
How do I actually win a scholarship? | 63 |
Chapter 3 Scholarships Just for Adult Students | 65 |
Ardella's story | 66 |
Scholarships for adult students | 69 |
Scholarship drawings | 74 |
Chapter 4 Maximize Your Federal Financial Aid | 77 |
Getting your share of federal financial aid | 78 |
Jane and Marilou's story | 79 |
Getting started with financial aid | 81 |
What is the timeline for applying for financial aid? | 82 |
How to determine your financial need | 82 |
What counts as expenses | 85 |
Where do I get the FAFSA? | 87 |
Lower your Expected Family Contribution | 88 |
When should I apply for financial aid? | 95 |
Chapter 5 Borrowing the Money You Need | 99 |
Investing in your education | 100 |
Diane's story | 101 |
Student loan programs | 104 |
Private student loans | 112 |
Can I ever get my student loan totally forgiven? | 115 |
Chapter 6 Money from Your State | 119 |
Getting money from your state government | 120 |
Jacqueline's story | 120 |
What your state offers | 122 |
State aid programs | 124 |
What can I get from my state higher education agency? | 133 |
Chapter 7 Money from Your College | 139 |
Money from your college | 140 |
Stephanie's story | 141 |
Hitting up your college for money | 143 |
Pam's story | 151 |
How should I contact the financial aid office to ask for a reassessment? | 155 |
Chapter 8 Get Your Employer to Pay | 157 |
Get your employer to pay | 158 |
Alan's story | 159 |
Why would my company pay for my education? | 161 |
What do these education benefits look like? | 161 |
Chapter 9 Take Advantage of Retraining Programs | 167 |
Take advantage of retraining programs | 168 |
Dawn's story | 168 |
Federal and state retraining programs | 170 |
Chapter 10 Earn Credit for Life Experiences | 175 |
Earn credit for life experiences | 176 |
Jane's story | 177 |
Earn college credit to graduate early | 179 |
Chapter 11 Be a Part-Time Student | 185 |
Working and studying at the same time | 186 |
Jennifer's story | 186 |
Part-time options | 189 |
What should I look for when selecting a part-time program? | 193 |
Chapter 12 Smart Saving Strategies for College | 195 |
Saving for college | 196 |
Roberta's story | 197 |
Why you should consider your state's 529 Plan | 202 |
Make a super gift to your 529 Savings Plan | 203 |
How to choose a 529 Savings Plan | 203 |
Don't stop saving once you're in college | 204 |
Chapter 13 Tax Breaks for Students | 211 |
Get your tax dollars back | 212 |
Paula's story | 213 |
The no double-dipping rule | 214 |
What's the difference between a tax credit and deduction? | 219 |
Chapter 14 Loan Forgiveness Programs | 223 |
Have your student loans forgiven | 224 |
Hee's story | 225 |
National loan repayment and scholarship for service programs | 227 |
State loan forgiveness programs | 232 |
Chapter 15 Military Education Benefits | 243 |
Soldiering your way to an education | 244 |
Charles and Arthur's story | 245 |
The Montgomery GI Bill | 247 |
Randall's story | 251 |
Special military and veteran scholarships | 253 |
Can I go to college at the same time I am in the military? | 256 |
Chapter 16 Avoid Financial Aid Scams | 257 |
Keeping your money safe | 258 |
Arnold's story | 259 |
Why do so many scammers succeed? | 262 |
Chapter 17 You Can Do It | 265 |
You can do it | 266 |
Index | 268 |