Bright Futures Consulting, LLC
College and Career Guidance Since 1999
Bright Futures helped me navigate the college application process and made it a breeze!
Financial
Online resources for financial aid and managing the cost of college.
- http://studentaid.ed.gov/ Point of entry into the federal government’s financial aid sites.
- http://www.finaid.com Excellent financial aid site.
- http://www.collegeanswer.com Sallie Mae’s comprehensive college search/college financing site. Calculate savings, estimated family contribution; search for schools by location or major; organize the application process; find scholarships.
- http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/conline/edcams/scholarship/ Just what it sounds like. There is a great deal of free info on scholarships. Check out the scams on this government sponsored site.
- http://meritaid.com A convenient listing of merit scholarships by institution.
- http://www.savingforcollege.com/ While this site focuses on 529 plans, it also contains much useful info on paying for college.
- http://projectonstudentdebt.org/ Find out about the average student debt load at the schools you’re considering.
- http://studentlendinganalytics.com/SLA/ratings.html Find out what the small print on student loans means for you.
- www.fafsa.ed.gov Department of Education Federal Student Aid site offers information for families as well as financial aid professionals; online training webinars available. Includes links to fafsa.ed.gov and fafsa4caster.ed.gov.
- www.ibrinfo.org Income-based repayment information; policies retroactive, effective July 2009.
- www.savingforcollege.com Great information on financial planning, 529 programs, guaranteed tuition plans, Coverdell ESAs and Roth IRAs.
- www.collegedata.com Sponsored by 1st Financial Bank with altruistic motives. Offers a “College Net Cost” estimator. 1-800-FED-AID – Hotline for questions.