Instructify

Right now, your high school seniors are probably stressing out about the difference between the cost of college and the amount of scholarship money they received. If you’re a guidance counselor or a teacher who doesn’t want your students to have to decide between buying books or food, show them these financial aid options, courtesy of studenthacks.org. They’ll find information about Pell Grants, Stafford Loans, plus lesser-known options like Plus Loans, as well as Social Security for students unlucky enough to have a deceased parent.

This list is a good resource for students scrambling to fund their education. Juniors can also use it as a primer for all the financial aid rigmarole they’ll have to go through next year. By exploring financial aid options, your students will have the money they need for school, and the peace of mind of not worrying how they’ll pay for their next meal. -BILL FERRIS

How to Find More Cash for School – 9 Financial Aid Options via studenthacks.org

Related Stuff:
Warn Your Students Against Financial Aid Myths
Student Loan Advice for High School Seniors
The Final Countdown - Countdown to College

Prevent your students from adding years to their student loan repayment schedule. Bankrate.com offers up some more good advice for your college-bound students. Cheryl Allebrand’s “13 Financial Aid Traps” is as much for parents as for their kids, and dispels several (thirteen, in fact) myths about getting more funding for college.

Allebrand lists mistakes ranging from withdrawing money from retirement accounts to using credit cards as a means of establishing credit to impress financial-aid types (and not running up credit card debt is darn good advice for anybody. Not that I’d know from experience or anything).

It’s all good advice, but I worry about the next generation if there are myths floating around like, “Get married to achieve independent status” for the FAFSA. -BILL FERRIS

13 Financial Aid Traps