FAFSA Survival Guide, Part 2

This is the second part of the FAFSA Survival Guide.

1. http://studentaid.ed.gov/PORTALSWebApp/students/english/publications.jsp

Federal Student Aid Publications

Several good publications are available in PDF format, informing students and parents on how to file the FAFSA, how to choose a college or career, and how to avoid student loan scams.

Of particular interest to those who have students in middle and junior high schools is a publication called My Future, My Way: How to Go, How to Pay—A Workbook for Students in Middle and Junior High Schools.

Also on this page is the publication, Closed School Guide for Students, which details what students should do if their school suddenly closes and they are not through with their program.

Another publication, Loan Forgiveness for Public Service Employees, can make some interesting reading.

2. http://www.kiplinger.com/features/archives/2009/01/avoid-student-aid-traps.html

Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine web site has a great article entitled, "11 Student-Aid Traps to Avoid," which would make for timely reading: 3.

3. http://www.kiplinger.com/magazine/archives/financialaid-form-gets-a-facelift.html

Another Kiplinger article, “Financial-Aid Form Gets a Facelift: The new FAFSA is shorter, more helpful and less confusing”:

4. http://www.fafsaonline.com/fafsa-guide-ebook.php

FAFSA Guide eBook – Line By Line FAFSA Help! If you look at the endorsements, this ebook comes highly recommended!

Choosing a Major May be More Important
Than Your College

According to Marc Scheer, author of No Sucker Left Behind: Avoiding the Great College Rip-Off, what major you choose may have more of an impact on your starting salary than the college you attend: “An interesting quirk of college pricing is that every ‘major’ (area of academic concentration) within a school usually costs the same price(even after financial aid is considered)—but different majors lead to different salaries . . . in fact, students’ choice of major has more of an impact on their salaries than where they go to college, and this has been supported in various research studies.”

I highly recommend Marc Scheer’s No Sucker Left Behind. The book has several strategies to maximize your value in searching for a college.

No Sucker Left Behind--Avoiding College Rip-offs

I was in Borders on Sunday, and I came across a book by Marc Scheer, No Sucker Left Behind: Avoiding the Great College Rip-off. What a provocative title!

Several interesting endorsements are on the cover, including Seth Godin, internet marketer, and Janne O'Donnell, a member of the Board of Directors for Americans for Fairness in Lending, so I decided to do a little research. The paperback book costs about $19.95 at Borders, and $15.56 at Amazon.com.

At Amazon, this book has several reviews, implying that the information was very good, describing the various "scams" and maneuvers that colleges use to encourage students to apply for school by taking out loans.

Many reviewers said that the title was misleading, and that the information was thoroughly researched. There are over 100 links to help in the college decision making process.

To get a taste of Marc Sheer's writing, you can check out his blog: http://nosuckerleftbehind.blogspot.com/

His most recent blog entry details "The Student Loan Scam."

Another interesting blog entry is a radio interview where he discusses how high schools and colleges can better assist students in career planning.

Also, on Amazon, I found a list of books Marc Sheer recommends that might also be helpful in your research: http://tinyurl.com/de9c82

You might disagree with some of his conclusions, but he seems to bring up some interesting issues that you might want to explore.

Once again, your helpful friendly ScholarshipMan is at your service!