How Can I Afford College?

There are basically five ways to make college more affordable.  The first way to make college more affordable is by your grades and ACT/SAT score.  The higher your GPA and test score, the better chance you have of getting merit based scholarships.  Also, you will receive more K.E.E.S. money if you have a high GPA and ACT score, are a resident of Kentucky and go to a Kentucky college.

The second way to make college more affordable is by building a solid, well-rounded resume.  Colleges like to see a student with excellent grades that also takes AP and advanced classes, involved in leadership activities, and is involved in volunteer and community service.

The third way to make college more affordable is to develop a college list.  Some critical areas that need to be addressed are the size of the college the student is interested in, the location, major, size of the city, and extracurricular activities.  You will also need to research all of the college’s merit based scholarship opportunities.  For example, you are not going to get much or any scholarship money from Harvard, but you would from Transylvania University.

The fourth way to make college more affordable is through financial aid.  It is critical to fill out the FAFSA in order to be considered for need based financial aid.  Money for school could come in a few forms; grants, work study, or loans.  Families with middle to higher income can receive financial aid depending on the price of the school, age of parents, how many children in college and other factors.

The fifth and final way to make college more affordable is to apply for outside scholarships.  Many companies such as Best Buy, Target, Burger King, and many more offer scholarship opportunities for students.  While it is a very unpredictable way to pay for college, outside scholarships do exist.