Hello FCS Subscriber! Beware the Ides of March! History buffs will remember that March 15th is best known as the date that Julius Caesar was assassinated. Maybe we should focus on celebrating St. Patrick's Day instead? Better yet, its spring break season for many students!
Though some may be celebrating and vacationing, many are preparing for mid-terms, working full-time at finding a job or just researching new ways to fund their education.
FreeCollegeScholarships wants to help you pay for school! We're offering a 10k scholarship drawing on March 25th. Click Here to Register
 In this newsletter, we'll take a look at a few ways to find more money for school. Not all of these may apply to your situation but you won't know until you find out!
Tax Credits
As we discussed in recent newsletters, Obama's recently announced American Opportunity Education tax credit could put between $2,500 and $4,000 in your pocket for school. This credit "will ensure that the first $4,000 of a college education is completely free for most Americans, and will cover two-thirds the cost of tuition at the average public college or university and make community college tuition completely free for most students."
Unfortunately this will only be available at tax filing time, but better late than never!
The Financial Aid Counter-Offer
If you've ever been to a swap meet or used car lot you may know the finer points of negotiating. The same can work for the financial aid offered by your school. Their first offer is not always their last as more funds become available and students turn down financial aid offers. As unemployment creeps higher and higher more families are experiencing the economic hardship of a lost salary. The financial aid office may be able to increase their
offer - just ask!
Just like your dad may have said on the used car lot, "We got a much better deal at the other place." If you get a great financial aid package from a school you don't want to go to, let the other schools know. They may be able to match or beat that offer!
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 Would you like another opportunity to win a $10,000 scholarship for school? FreeCollegeScholarship's partner program, ScholarshipProvider, will hold their next drawing on March 25, 2009. Click Here to Register |
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Pay for it all with Federal Loans
Most students first look for scholarships and grants - which are free money for school. After that, students and parents can finance school with federal loans. Regardless of what your financial aid allocation was, you should be able to get an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan. This loan may provide up to $5,500 to freshmen. This loan carries a 6.8% fixed rate, so depending on how much you end up borrowing and how long it takes to repay, you could end up paying back a lot more.
Parents can apply for a Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS). This loan, available through the Direct Loan Program and some banks, can cover all your tuition and board costs.
Scholarships!
Scholarships do not need to be paid back and most schools will not take into consideration outside scholarships - like the three listed below - when they offer your financial aid. Research on scholarship database websites like Fastweb. In addition to FCS, you can also find college scholarships available on Scholarships4Moms, FreeMilitaryScholarships, and ScholarshipProvider.
That's all for this week. Do not forget to register for the March 25th FCS scholarship drawing, and stay tuned for next week's newsletter!
Good Luck!
FCS Scholarships
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In this Issue
1. FCS Scholarship
2. Tax Credits
3. Counter-Offer
4. SP Scholarship
5. Federal Loans
6. Scholarships
7. Mar. Drawing
8. FCS Finalist |
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Fast Facts...
Are you an athlete looking for an athletic scholarship? Roughly one high school athlete in ten will get a full athletic scholarship to a Division I or II School.
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