Applying to college is only the first step. If you hope to enter the hallowed halls of your first-choice, you need to find a way to pay for college, and fast.

Calm down, applying for financial aid is all about the basics: loans and scholarships.

Loans:

Alright, here’s is the catch: you might get some cash for your college education, but it won’t be there for long, so you can’t treat it as a windfall and go on a major shopping spree. That’s the thing about loans-you have to actually pay them back.

So they are more like “temporarily free money.” But that’s still a huge help for the students relying on a loan as part of their financial aid package. In fact, college loans are the largest form of student aid, making up 54% of the total aid awarded each year.

There are basically two broad categories of loans: loans based on financial need and loans not based on financial need. Either way, you must fill out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) as a first step. (By the way, these are long and complicated, and there are some cool companies like fafsa.com who can make this a breeze).

If your FAFSA application does demonstrate need, a need-based loan will be less expensive than a non-need loan (need-based loans usually have better payback terms). As mentioned above, to be eligible for any loan, you have to fill out the FAFSA first. Below are some of the different kinds of loans:

Need Based Loans

• Subsidized Direct Loans
• Subsidized Stafford FFEL Program Loan
• Perkins Loan

Non-Need Based Loans

• Subsidized Direct Loans
• Subsidized Stafford FFEL Program Loan
• Perkins Loan
• Private Loans

Scholarships:

The great thing about scholarships is they don’t need to be paid back. Scholarships are generally offered through colleges, businesses, private individuals and outside sponsors. There are no standardized scholarships, meaning they vary from college to college. Those awarded by the college itself are often called merit aid. For some scholarships you need to be nominated. For most of them, you apply directly to a sponsor (the person or institution who is issuing the scholarship). So, check with your college to see what types of scholarships are available. Or, go online to scholarships.com to search thousands of scholarships for the ones that perfectly match you.

Some students are very successful at getting many little scholarships or occasionally landing a substantial award. These scholarships are awarded on a broad-base of criteria, the most common being academic merit. However, others are based on conditions such as financial need, affiliation with a church or community group, demonstrated leadership, athletic talent, artistic or musical ability so don’t rule them out. Think of your skills and your community and get creative! Apply for as many as you can, as a bunch of little awards can add up to one big scholarship.

Beyond the Basics

Okay, so now you know the basics of applying for financial aid. But what’s next? How do you find these mythical “scholarships” and how do you know which loans to apply for? Well that’s where the “Pay For College” page comes in. CampusCompare has just launched a new page to deal with all your financial-aid worries. You can search and compare scholarships and loans to find the right combo for you! And as the dollars add up, you’ll be that much closer to the college of your dreams.

Still don’t understand the ins-and-outs of financial aid? Check out our Financial Aid FAQ’s, glossary, and more expert advice on the “Pay For College” page. It has everything you need to go from $0 to your full college tuition.

Whether you’re just beginning to apply early decision to colleges on your list or are already on the campus of your choice, November is the perfect time to begin seeking out and applying for scholarships for the following year. Don’t believe me? Consult the National Scholarship Providers Association (NSPA), an organization that works with scholarship providers to make them more effective in reaching out to potential applicants. They decided to name November National Scholarship Month to bring more awareness to the fact that if you’re not doing so already, the time is now to pursue scholarship award money.

The NSPA began celebrating National Scholarship Month in May of 1998, but switched to November last year to mark a more accurate start to scholarship application season. By spring, many scholarship deadlines have passed, and students have made or are close to making important financial aid decisions, such as how much they should be taking out in student loans for the following semester.

What better way to celebrate the occasion and make sure you’re taking out the least amount in student loans possible than with kicking off your scholarship search? A common refrain at Scholarships.com is “apply early, and apply often.” We don’t mean apply to each scholarship more than once. We mean apply as soon as that scholarship is available, and apply for as many scholarships as you can. We know the kind of time and effort it takes to apply to colleges, coming up with personal statements, and filing financial aid applications. Put that same energy into your scholarship search for the best payback, and you could be looking at generous rewards for your efforts.

The best way to get started is by conducting a free scholarship search that will match you with scholarships that you’re exactly eligible for. Almost everyone will find they’re eligible for at least a handful of scholarships, and most of you will find that you’re eligible for more scholarships than you’ll probably be able to apply for in the time allowed. A big scholarship myth out there is that you need to boast certain characteristics to land free money for college. Sure, it won’t hurt if your academic record is strong or if you’re a starter on your school’s basketball team, but there are scholarships out there that reward you just for being you. Consider that unique hobby or your left-handedness when you’re seeking out scholarships, because many awards are very specific in the kinds of students they’re looking to reward.

Agnes Jasinski is a Content Editor at Scholarships.com. Her articles on education have previously appeared in a number of print publications, and you can now follow her and the Scholarships.com staff at http://blog.scholarships.com/ for the latest financial aid and college news. For more tips on how to get the most out of your financial aid package, putting together your college applications and almost every other aspect of the transition from high school to college, visit http://www.scholarships.com/college-resources.aspx, a resource page that is kept up to date to keep you up to speed.

Early decision (ED) is an increasingly popular choice for college applications. The reason? Well, actually there are a couple.

But beware: early decision has some serious pitfalls.  Find out the in’s and out’s of early decision, and how it could affect YOUR financial aid package.

In other words, McClusky claims that government student aid and tuition costs are running around in a circle: that as Governments offer more aid to help out students with college costs, schools increase tuition accordingly to get even more money.

So what’s your suggestion, McSmarty? Government should butt out, duh! McClusky’s alternative is to cut government spending to force colleges to be more competitive and lower tuition. Ah… free market economics at its finest.

Hmmm… Does this make any sense? Call us left-wing radicals if you want to, but we’re not convinced you can treat the cost of a higher education according to free market principles. Works great for shoes, but horribly for education. Inspiring professors, original research, and state-of-the-art facilities all cost money. Pitting colleges against one another in a pissing contest of lowest-advertised tuition or BOGO degrees does not necessarily benefit students.

Not to mention that in a job market skimpier than Lindsay Lohan’s short-shorts, students need a higher education to get a job… even if the first 10 years’ salary go to paying back that that tuition. At a certain point, students and their parents will pay any price in order to earn that degree. Haven’t we seen this already? What middle-class family can really afford 40,000 a year in tuition? And yet so many scrimp, save, and borrow on their mortgage in order to afford it. The point being, free market principles really only work if the market is free. There really is no incentive for colleges to lower tuition on their own, since students are bound to have to pay, regardless of the price tag.

So what do you think? Will “market forces” take care of tuition inflation? Is the government really just screwing us over by helping us out? Twitter us with #tuition to let us know what you think or leave a comment below to join the growing debate about raising tuition costs and federal financial aid.

I know this may seem premature, but for some of you, school is only seven weeks away and you just know that time is going to fly by, don’t you? The beginning of a new school year means a lot of things for students, but if you expect to continue your education beyond high school and you are in your last or next-to-last year in school, you really need to start thinking practically about college. In other words, you need to figure out how you are going to pay for your post-secondary education.

Too often, students wait until they are accepted to a college before it occurs to them that they don’t have sufficient funds to get them through the first year, much less four-or-more of them. Following right behind that little revelation is often the realization that the university to which they have been accepted has a fairly strict policy about being paid in a timely manner. May is not the month to begin your scholarship search, believe me. While there will still be scholarships available to you, and you should still seek them out if that is your situation, there are far fewer opportunities for scholarships in May than in January and your options have now become much narrower as a result of the delay. Allow yourself more time to be selective and apply for more scholarships, thereby increasing your chances of landing one, or even several (do I hear “dozens”?) scholarships.

September is just around the corner, believe me. And, before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving break and, soon after, the end of your first semester. Start researching now and make sure you are seriously searching for scholarships by winter break to give yourself the best chance at finding free money for college. On January 1st, by day’s end, you should have your FAFSA completed and submitted and you should already have a working list of scholarships for which you will apply. For my next instalment, I will tell you where to go from there. For now, though, enjoy the rest of your summer and just keep this information in the back of your mind. You still have some pleasant, summer weather and at least a few more weeks of free time.

These are just a few ways you can improve your chances of balancing everything you are trying to do at the end of your high school career and still find money for college. For more, check out http://www.scholarships.com.

Kevin Ladd is a Vice President at Scholarships.com. His essays and tips have been published on many websites, as well as print, video and audio form. He has been interviewed and/or featured on CollegeWeekLive, Kim Stezala’s book, “Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College” and the website for the National Scholarship Providers of America, among others. Check out some of Kevin’s other musings and other financial aid information resources at http://www.scholarships.com.

Some reports claim that the average rate of tuition increase, at 4.3 percent (totaling $1,081), is the lowest it’s been in ten years. For most people this is a small consolation. According to the College Board, the average tuition and fees at private four-year colleges were $25,143 in the 2008-2009 school year.   Mind you, this is just an average. Some schools have actually decreased their tuition. If this peaks your interest, you might want to peep on Davis and Elkins College. This school actually dropped tuition by, wait for it….a whopping 1 percent! Incoming students will now pay $200 dollars less than before, almost enough for a month’s worth of groceries. William Jessup University lowered its tuition by 2.5 percent. There you can go from paying $20,480 to $19,968, letting you keep $512 in your pocket. Other schools, like Merrimack College and Yeshiva University have frozen tuition. Also making an effort is Boston College and Boston University who have allegedly raised tuition at the lowest rates in more than 30 years, by 2.8 percent and 3.8 percent respectively. These may seem like small gestures at a time when American’s are facing one of the worst economic crises in history. While the lowered tuition might not be the tipping point for you, if it comes down to the wire between two schools, it’s good to know who is making an effort to consider struggling students and their families.

Maybe you’ve gotten into one of the pricier private schools and are hell-bent on going. It’s just that even with the student loan, the financial aid, and the parental help, you’re still in the the red. When your parents hook you up with cash for college its a sponsorship of sorts. You’re promoting them by looking good. Have you ever thought about asking strangers to sponsor you? Say hello to UniThrive. A few Harvard grads have branched out of the flesh and blood college patronage traditionalism with this fresh idea. UniThrive is a non-profit website that connects alumni and students to help lower the costs of education. Alumni who are always being solicited by their alma maters to make donations can now see the direct result of their contribution by providing students with zero-interest student loans. It’s also a great way to connect with alumni and build a network as you prepare for your future. On the site, students post photos and biographical information, and they can request up to $2,000.

There are lots of little tidbits that can facilitate paying for college. So check back here for more helpful hints and useful info.

Below is a list of the 5 worst schools to graduate from in a recession, based on the starting salary of graduates and their overall cost of tuition. We added some alliteration, just for fun.

Morehead State University ($34,800) State school students’ salaries suffer

Black Hills State University ($35,300) Poor payroll post-graduation

Colorado College ($38,500.00) Liberal learning = less loot

University of Alabama Tuscaloosa ($41,300) Alabamians aren’t always affluent

Ivy League Brown University ($56,200) Ivy income isn’t immune

By Kevin Ladd, Vice President, Scholarships.com

Each year at about this time, I see students, desperate for financial aid of any kind, begin to despair juuuust a bit. “This scholarship is due in two days… I can’t put together a application/winning essay that quickly!” or something along those lines. Others complain that the deadlines have passed for many of the scholarships for which they might have applied. There is only really one solution for this and that is for you to begin searching for scholarships earlier in the year.

No matter how much or how hard you lobby, you won’t get scholarship providers to change their dates to suit you, so do the only thing you can and begin looking for money in January, if not sooner, of each year you are in college until either you finish school or no longer need money, whichever comes first. Remember that as you go into winter break this year. January 1st = FAFSA + Financial Aid Search.

Now, let’s look at your options for the coming academic year. There are still quite a few scholarships left out there with a deadline between now and the beginning of the academic year 2009/2010, but they are going to be far less plentiful. Your best bet to find as many as possible, as quickly as possible is to use a free scholarship search, like Scholarships.com. Your objective at this point is to find scholarships to improve your financial situation and then separate those whose deadlines have passed from those that haven’t and decide from there which ones work best for you. Here’s how your current approach should differ from, say, a January approach.

1. In January, you are looking for the biggest payoff and best fit. You want to apply to the scholarship that offers a large award, but that you are confident you have a good chance at winning. If it’s May, June or July, though, you need to sort your list of scholarships by date. The most important thing right now is that the scholarship is still available. Look at all those that are available and start on the ones due within the week first and work your way toward those with later deadlines.

2. In January, you probably have some time to research and prioritize the many scholarship applications you have in front of you. It’s much easier to be able to take the time to make sure you follow the rules and don’t hurt your chances by omitting a requested item or something of that nature. If it’s May, June or July, time is no longer on your side, but you can still find money for school. Remember, though, even though it is late in the year and time is short, you still need to make sure you follow the instructions of the scholarship provider or you are probably just wasting your time applying. You will have fewer scholarships to choose from at this time, and the one upside to that is that prioritizing should be a lot quicker.

These are just a few ways you can improve your chances of balancing everything you are trying to do at the end of your high school career and still find money for college. For more, check out http://www.scholarships.com.

Kevin Ladd is a Vice President at Scholarships.com. His essays and tips have been published on many websites, as well as print, video and audio form. He has been interviewed and/or featured on CollegeWeekLive, Kim Stezala’s book, “Scholarships 101: The Real-World Guide to Getting Cash for College” and the website for the National Scholarship Providers of America, among others. Kevin has been in the business of helping students find money for college for over ten years. Check out some of Kevin’s other musings and myriad other financial aid information resources at http://www.scholarships.com.

American high school students are increasingly applying to Canadian universities for the lower cost and higher quality education. The Globe and Mail reported that this past academic year 9000 Americans studied at Canadian universities, a number that has tripled over the last decade.

The Canadian university experience manifests above and beyond French fries with gravy, hockey, and slightly different spelling. Forget about low tuition, many Canadian universities are world class ranked academic institutions. At many Canadian universities, you can have a valuable college experience with the advantage of a quality education. There’s a reason why McGill University students brandish Harvard as “America’s McGill”.

Tuition at Canadian universities for American students saves American students tens of thousands of dollars. American students might also want to factor in the cheaper living expenses of major Canadian cities like Toronto, Montreal and Vancouver compared to the high prices of their American counterparts. Just compare costs of tuition and living expenses at Boston University and McGill University and see why so many American students have followed their nose towards the wafting odor of fries covered with melted cheese and gravy.

The Internship Advantage

When it comes to landing your first job, an internship can make all the difference. Here’s how to find one that’s right for you!

Adam Tarosky is a law clerk in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. During law school, he worked as a summer associate at law firms in Pittsburgh and in Washington, D.C. “I learned so much about how to be a professional and operate in an office setting,” recalls Adam.

By the time Adam finished law school, he had offers of full-time work from both firms. At that point, however, Adam had already decided to complete a clerkship after graduation.

Adam’s story is not unique. Once you’ve got an internship or two under your belt, your job prospects are likely to look a lot brighter. You are instantly more attractive to a recruiter than the recent grad who lacks internship experience.

In fact, if all goes well during your internship, you could even be first in line to snag a full-time position. According to a survey released by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (www.naceweb.org), out of NACE’s pool of surveyed employers, roughly one out of every three new hires from the 2007 graduating class landed their first job with a company for which they’d previously interned.

Work your network
Once you’ve decided to pursue an internship, your focus should be finding one that fits your goals. The best way to spread the word about your internship quest? Network, network, network! Even if you don’t think you have a network, you do!

Start with your family, friends, IM buddies, blog followers, Facebook and MySpace friends, neighbors, and teachers. If you belong to a volunteer group, church, social club, or gym, talk to other members and let them know you’re looking for internship opportunities.

If you’re creative, persistent, and patient, somebody somewhere will connect you with a professional who can introduce you to a key contact, recommend you for an interview, or even create an internship gig for you.

Use campus resources
Research internship services at your school, including your college’s website. Many schools include a dedicated internships section where students can view the latest internship openings, sign up for listings, get tips, learn about events such as internship fairs, and even read profiles of former interns.

Ask a career counselor what other resources are available. Talk to internship advisors, take classes and workshops-job search tactics and interview prep, for instance-and do mock interviews.

Depending on your field, employers may come to your university to recruit. Find out when these recruiting events are scheduled, do your homework on the firms attending, and whip your resumé into shape.

Speaking of your resumé, keep it concise-no longer than one page-and spell out a targeted objective up top. Don’t worry if you don’t have significant work experience; most employers won’t expect it of interns. Focus on your education and indicate your expected graduation date, but also outline relevant course work, special projects, lab work, and in-the-field assignments. Highlight your computer skills. List significant activities, such as volunteer work, tutoring, and community service.

Make an impression
Once an employer is interested in you, the next step is an interview or screening-either in person or over the phone or via e-mail.

In the case of e-mail, respond to messages promptly, address questions head-on, and be sure to convey your enthusiasm throughout your correspondence.

For phone interviews, take the call in a quiet place. If you’re using a cell phone, avoid wandering around in case the call drops or you just get distracted, and make sure your phone is fully charged. Use a headset so that your hands are free to take notes.

For face-to-face interactions, look your potential employer in the eye from the get-go, and remember to smile! “When students approach our booth at career fairs, we look at how they present themselves, how they communicate, and we ask about their activities in school and the areas they’re interested in pursuing,” reports Alex Cabezon, recruiter and retention manager at civil engineering firm BKF in Redwood City, California. “GPA is not the number one thing we look at.”

Whether you’re on the phone, on e-mail, or in front of the recruiting company, use the encounter to learn all you can about the company: ask about its direction, its reaction to a controversial new product, anything you’re curious about. Ask whether a mentor will be available. Graciously inquire about intern-to-full-time conversion possibilities. Many interns are paid for their work, so don’t start off by offering to work for free (even if you’re willing to)!

Interns inside
Some employers offer structured programs with well-defined project parameters, including an orientation period. Others, meanwhile, fall at the far end of the spectrum, where you determine the meat of your projects. Most companies fall somewhere in the middle. As you settle into your internship, you’ll quickly get a feel for where your position-and your company-falls.

BKF’s Cabezon says that within his company, there isn’t a corporate-wide objective-setting system for interns. “Each individual group can formalize the internship goals or allow them to be casual or informal,” he says.

At BKF, he estimates that eight out of 10 interns are offered a full-time position. “We look for hard workers and great team players. We also like to see an aptitude for learning.”

As your internship comes to a close, you might be invited to return during your college breaks. Think carefully about that option. Having the security of an internship lined up might be tempting, but will it limit you from trying new things?

Ken Ashcraft, a Stanford University graduate with a master’s degree in computer science, completed several internships, including a 12-week program at IBM in Austin, Texas. Ken encourages students to explore as many different opportunities as possible. “If you work at the same place three summers in a row, you might pigeonhole yourself a little bit,” says Ken. “Then you won’t get to explore what you like to do.”

That said, give your internship your all while you’re there-even if each gig turns out to be a one-time situation. And if your internship earns you college credits, don’t forget to have any necessary paperwork signed.

Some final advice from Adam Tarosky: “Keep in touch with all the people you worked with at your internships. Opportunities will arise in the future based on experiences you had in the past.”