The Rising Costs of College Tuition in America
The cost of a college education in the United States is a major concern, even for smaller schools. What was formerly cheap for almost everyone has become rather pricey. In-state students typically pay $25,487 per academic year for a four-year course at an American university, whereas out-of-state students should budget at least $27,023.
Before submitting an application for a student loan, some of the following options may be appealing to you.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of loans does FAFSA give?
Direct Subsidized Loans made to eligible undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need to help cover the costs of higher education at a college or career school.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans made to eligible undergraduate, graduate, and professional students, but eligibility is not based upon financial need.
How much does FAFSA give based on income?
The formula allocates 50 percent of a dependent student’s adjusted available income to cover college expenses and anywhere from 22 to 47 percent of parents’ available income.
What is the difference between a student loan and a federal student loan?
There are two types of student loans—federal and private.
Federal student loans (and federal parent loans): These repayable loans are funded by the federal government.
Private student loans: These loans are nonfederal loans, made by a lender such as a bank, credit union, state agency, or a school, and are repayable.
Note: Private loans will likely require a credit check and a cosigner, who will be responsible for paying back the loan if you cannot.
What are the 3 types of federal financial aid?
Grants: This may be the only aid that that generally doesn’t have to be repaid.
Loans: Borrowed money for college or career school; your loans must be repaid with interest.
Work-Study: A federal work program through which undergraduates and graduate students at participating schools earn money to help pay for school.
Which federal student loans are better for the borrower?
Private student loans and federal direct student loans don’t require credit history or a co-signer. They also offer borrowers more flexible repayment options and protections to prevent default.
What are alternatives to federal student aid?
There are other Scholarships, grants, and work-study programs that can help make college or career school affordable.
These types of Student financial aid do not require repayment:
• Grants
• Scholarships (schools, philanthropies, fraternities, sororities, churches community organizations, and employer sponsorships (corporate).
Other sources of income include:
• Work-study programs (related to field of study)
• Part-time work (non-related to field of study).
• Work-study programs offer part-time jobs related to your degree.
• Families can set up college savings plans as well.
Did you know there is a federally funded program for parents?
Child Care Access Means Parents in School (CCAMPIS), the federal program for student parents, helped roughly 3,300 students who were parents pay for childcare in 2016:
15 percent were Black or African American
29 percent were men according to a report by the Government Accountability Office.
Of the students participating in the program, the college persistence rate was about 82 percent, the GAO report also showed.
A lot of the funding goes towards community colleges and public institutions and, as we know, community colleges have a lot of low-income students, students of color, and things of that nature.
So CCAMPIS is a really great program to help students towards completion.