Book Description

Balancing detailed explanations with real-life examples and practical resources, this guide reveals a multitude of ways to finance higher education. Topics include how to find and win scholarships, negotiate with colleges for more financial aid, maximize assistance from state and federal governments, take advantage of educational tax breaks, and benefit from government-subsidized student loans. Also included are creative strategies such as starting profitable dorm-room enterprises, trading tuition costs for volunteer service, and canceling debts with loan repayment programs. This book is designed to aid high school, college, adult, and graduate school students and their parents. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

DON'T WASTE YOUR $
This book was simply a waste of money-awful. The requirements to qualify for the scholarships is too incredibly specific. It is also the worst organized book i have ever read. It took so long to comb through the whole book only to find nothing. Please, I beg of you to buy a diffrent book. Don't waste your money.

Too specific
I'm a junior and didn't really find this book of much use. There aren't a lot of general scholarships. There's a lot of scholarships relating to specific schools or organizations. There weren't a lot of scholarships for essays, for juniors, or just an average person. ... Read more

Book Description

A wide-ranging examination of the governmental and institutional policies and practices, and essential theories and areas of research that in combination establish the foundation, explore and extend the boundaries, and expand the base of knowledge in the field of higher education finance. ... Read more

Book Description

“The most complete and up-to-date book I’ve seen on loans,grants, and tax strategies for parents of college-bound children.”
– Terry Savage, Chicago Sun-Times

“ Paying for College could accurately be titled ‘Everything the College Financial Aid Officers Won’t Tell, and Everything You Never Thought to Ask.’”
– New York Daily News

Insider Strategies for Maximizing Financial Aid and Minimizing College Costs

• Plan ahead to improve your chance of receiving financial aid
• Calculate your aid eligibility before you apply to colleges
• Complete the financial aid forms (including the 2004—2005 FAFSA and the 2004—2005 CSS PROFILE)
• Negotiate with the financial aid office
• Learn about educational tax breaks
• Master special circumstances if you’re a single parent or an independent student

Kalman A. Chany is the founder and president of Campus Consultants in New York.For 21 years he has helped thousands of clients maximize the amount of financial aid they receive. He has shared his advice on Good Morning America, NBC Nightly News, CNN, NPR’s Talk of the Nation, and other prominent news programs.

The Princeton Review
With the fastest growing test-preparation company and school information website in the country, The Princeton Review helps prepare more than two million students each year for college, grad school, professional licensing exams, and successful careers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Questionable value
The real value of this book appears to be its short term strategies. These are strategies one may employ when college is approaching. Its long term strategies are nothing more than what you'd find in Money Magazine or similar periodical. My advice is to wait and purchase this book until you're within five years of enrolling in college. ... Read more

Book Description

Off to college. Excited. Nervous. Broke...

Finding a way to pay for college and live on a budget is not always easy, but it definitely beats paying off huge loans for the next 30 years. And these students are living proof that it can be done. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great tips!
I first read about this book in the Washington Post and I ended up getting a copy for free! But i wanted to write how this book really breaks down all of your college money worries and makes everything seem manageable. And knowing there are so many other students out there who are having all the same thoughts and issues, and knowing they all got through it, really helps. ... Read more

Book Description

College can be free! Sounds like a dream but it is true. Discover the most successful method for winning scholarships, grants, and low or no interest loans. This 112 page book details step-by-step plans to beat the competition, fund your college education, and graduate debt free. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Great tips and a good reference
The book lists several web sites to use and other books, but the tips included in the book are pretty good by themselves. It tells you how to get your scholarship applications noticed, not just how to do it. I won several awards by using the techniques so I'd definitely say it's worth it! My scholarships totalled over 10,000 dollars when you include the recurring one for the 4 years. I really like the chapters about helping students prepare for college - they have some good tips for money management. The author's style seems pretty straightforward, but it doesn't get boring since she keeps giving you so much information and places to go search for stuff. Great book! ... Read more

Book Description

Get Money for College

With Kaplan's Scholarships 2005 Edition, you get exactly what you need -- information on the biggest and best funding programs available for college studies. This guide includes more than 3,000 listings in the areas of science, humanities, and social science, plus a variety of indexes to help you identify the best opportunities.

Don't Waste Your Time.

The scholarships in this book have been carefully selected. You won't waste time wading through $50 scholarships or ones that are tied only to one school. Each entry is worth at least $1,000, does not require repayment, and is not restricted to any one school.

Find the Perfect Scholarship for Your Needs.

Not all of the funding opportunities covered here are based on need or academics. Many sources award money based on career plans, writing ability, religious or ethnic background, and personal characteristics.

Hear from the Experts.

You'll receive tips and advice on researching your options, setting a timetable, applying for the best opportunities, and avoiding scholarship scams. ... Read more

Book Description

Two-volumes-in-one, Free Money for Graduate School is both areference and a how-to book telling grant seekers both how and where toapply for grants and scholarships.

In addition to the name of thesource, each entry provides an address, telephone number, a descriptionof the program, eligibility requirements, the maximum dollar amount,number of grants given, and the deadline for application.

Alsoincluded are helpful tips on filling out applications, the bestapproach to take when applying, where to look for additional sources,and information on federal aid programs such as Stafford Loans and PellGrants. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

Many inaccuracies about eligibility for awards frustrating!
The Hertz Foundation Graduate Fellowship Awards are described as "fellowships for graduate study in any discipline."The Hertz Foundation awards are for students looking into the application of the physical and technical sciences only!

The Truman Scholarship are open only to college juniors, not "undergraduate and graduate students."

I have only looked into two scholarships offered in this book, and already have found two errors.This Ph.D. candidate wasted his money on this book.

Mostly for PHD candidates
The biggest complaint with this book is its organization. The chapters are broken down with business, law and health all together. Which makes it really hard to find something specifically in business. Another problem is the fact that most of the grants are for PHD candidates and alot are school specific.

Not good for masters candidates
I am a woman pursuing a masters in architecture degree. While the book was well-organized, about 85-90% of the scholarships and grants were for doctoral candidates. Out of over 1000 grants, I only found 6 that I MIGHT qualify for, and three of them I had already heard about through my internet searches. People pursuing a masters degree would not benefit from this book...

This book is fantastic!
I felt compelled to write a review for this book after reading over the others that had been written. This book seems to have gotten poor reviews from people who don't have any idea about how to research grant opportunities.

There is no reason in the world for a grant guide to invest 5,000 or so pages itemizing grants available at individual institutions - the most up-to-date and thorough sources for this kind of information will always be the institutions themselves. A quick scan of any grad school guide will indicate which institutions are most generous with funding for a given field. From there, you just contact your top five choices. Personally, I would never spend $100 on a tome that simply duplicates information available elsewhere.

I am equally baffled by the reviewer that complains about the general nature of the entries. If you're looking for degree-specific funding, there are web sites for profesisonal organizations that can help you.

I found this book to do exactly what it should. It provides detailed information about grants that you are unlikely to come across from other sources. After you contact instiutional grant offices and research funding for your specific degree, this book provides a wealth of information about those grants that are more hidden away in the woodwork.

For the 2001-2002 academic year, and as a doctoral student in an obscure humanities field, I have been awarded $85,000 intended to support myself and my spouse during the final phases of dissertation completion. These funds are the product of the information provided by this book, which I can't recommend highly enough.

It sounds as though the other reviewers are disappointed that one volume has not done all their work for them. For this, I would not blame Laurie Blum, but rather, the naivete of these readers.

Where's the information?
If any research went into this book, it must have lasted about 30 minutes. I expected it to be a serious resource book which listed the many variousfellowships and scholarships which truly are available at many differentuniversities and colleges all over the U.S.Ms. Blum has not done the worknecessary to make such information available.This book mentions, ordescribes about one-eighth of the funding that is actually available, ifyou are truly shopping for graduate study.How this pitiful excuse hasmade it into afourth edition is a mystery to me.I guess it has beenre-vamped because so many fresh undergrads or recent bachelor's degreestudents have not a clue as to what may be available.There should be abook (which this one is not!) for graduates who want to continue theiracademic careers, who do not have really helpful or generous mentors.Sucha book would examine our universities in geographical sections, departmentby department.It would be twice as big, of course, and it would be wortha lot more money on the book market.If a searcher is expecting any real,extensive information from this book, information which is readily avaiablevia telephone and fax machine, this one falls considerably short of value. ... Read more

Book Description

A Book wich lists all the help women need to do what they've always dreamed with the help of $80 Billion in Grants, Loans, Scholarships just for Women Who Want to Go Back to School or Train for a New Job. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

Shame on Lesko!
I found this book completely useless except for a paperweight or doorstop! What I did find interesting is that Vickie Adkins-Marcum seems to review all of Matthew Lesko's books. Of course Vickie highly exalts him using such phrases as "KUDOS to Matthew Lesko! He's making this world a better place!" For those of you who are a little slow, let me inform you that Vickie Adkins-Marcum is really Matthew Lesko, or someone Matthew gave this review to and paid Vickie to post it. It's strange that Vickie's reviews all start out with the same first paragraph and have many of the same phrases throughout. It is also strange that Vickie only reviews Matthew's books. Shame on you Matthew Lesko for writing your own review!

Why pay for wrong information
I am the programs manager for a national academic organization. Someone just called me and quoted a section in this book that claims our organization offer scholarships to girls and women from the U.S. and Canada. Totally not true. It really bothers me when people put out false or made up information and the unsuspecting general public pays good money for it. Clearly, this book was not well researched and was probably just copied from other not-well-researched sources.

Be cautious about this book
I read the reviews for this book and it seemed like a good choice, but I guess I didn't read between the lines. This book really didn't help me in my search at all. The reason: I am a white female, who isn't in high school anymore, who is not already attending a "college" and currently is employed. I was very disappointed in this book. Most of the listing are for women just getting out of high school, for those who are already in school or those who are unemployed and seeking to join a woman friendly job enviroment (nurse, teacher, or science technology etc). I found only 4 listing that would apply to my situation, and all 4 required membership to the organization, before I could get any information about the money offered in this book. Please go to your local book store or library and thumb through this book before you buy it. You might save yourself some money in the long run.

Helping us pursue our dreams of a higher education!
As usual, Matthew Lesko finds a way to tell us about more freebies than we ever dreamed possible! His book is well organized and includes GREAT details on each page.

I work in a health department/WIC office. Many of our clients are single-parents who see no chance of returning to school or obtaining a college degree. By utilizing this book on MANY different occasions, I am proud to say I've seen the info in this book literally change the lives of many of our Morrow County Residents. Many of our parents found money to return to school and now have goals of a better education, better incomes, etc.... and their children see their parents pursuing their dreams. These kids learn that it's a good thing to set goals and strive to achieve them, and that higher education is very rewarding. It really does add to the success of our families here.

I'm very thankful Matthew Lesko found something he loves to do and does it so well! Many of us have used his books and feel they are a BLESSING to us and our families. I know I would not be where I am today without the seeds of ambition Matthew Lesko planted into me many years ago with all of his zany commercials and his "you can do this" attitude. So, KUDOS to Matthew Lesko! He's making this a better place!

Women CAN work after all!
Matthew Lesko's book is an absolue Godsend. Imagine...women now have a place to find resources for money. If only the reviewer whose name has the same initials as "Junior Varsity" could actually put this book to good use and finally find a job (and learn how to spell, if it's not too much to ask)! ... Read more

Book Description

Athletic Scholarships, Fourth Edition proves that you don't need to be a football hero or track star to win an athletic scholarship. It is the most complete, concise, and current directory of its kind, listing literally thousands of grants and scholarships available to college-bound male and female athletes at every playing level. Thoroughly revised and updated throughout, this book offers young athletes, from divers to gymnasts to alpine skiers, the latest information on finding ways to finance a college education. Each listing provides contact information, the number of grants awarded, the amount of aid available, and the sports being offered. Also, a state-by-state directory lists every four-year and two-year college that offers athletic scholarship money for a wide range of sports, including skiing, baseball, basketball, bowling, crew, football, lacrosse, volleyball, soccer, and more. ... Read more

Book Description

_ --Dr. Israel Tribble, Jr., President, Florida Education Fund ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Waste of time and money...
I bought this book about a year and a half ago when I first applied to go to graduate school. I was unsuccessful, and applied to several more schools this year. I pulled out the book again, because my first choice school is very expensive. Out of the six letters that I sent to organizations listed in the book for further information on whether I qualified for their awards, three have been returned marked "undeliverable as addressed." Where I went to school, fifty percent was definitely a flunking grade!

This edition was published in 1999 -- I think it's definitely time for some major corrections and a sixth edition! Also, Bill Cosby may want to ask them to take his endorsement off of the front cover. My younger sister will be a freshman at the same school where I plan to enroll this fall, and she didn't bother to write away for any of the awards listed in the book because she saw so many of my letters coming back!

I absolutly loved it!!!!
It is good that the black students of America have a book to help them find out about scholarships. I will pick up the book as soon as I can. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Mainly for Postdoctoral Research
While this book totes grants for the graduate student, most of the listings are for postdoctral research.

Thus, if you are doing postdoctoral research then I would rate this book 5 stars, however, if you are a graduate student (Masters or Doctorate) then this book offers minimal help.

However, the help in this book is contingent upon your area of study. In other words, there is much help listed for Engineering students, Environmental studies, Health care, History, Language and Literature, Mathematics, and Political Science. Other fields have some help, but not near as much as those I listed.

Thus, if you are looking for grants for areas not listed in this review then this book will only provide very minimal help. Hope that helps you in your research and hunt for $$. ... Read more

Book Description

The college planning workbook is the step-by-step how to guide for understanding the college identification and selection process. Filled with tips and information covering NCAA clearing house rules and regulations, sample resume and cover letters and how to effectively communicate with college admissions and coaches - choosing a college or university that fits the students needs has never been so easy. ... Read more

Book Description

As college costs skyrocket, even student-athletes who are not superstars can help pay their tuition and expenses through sports

This workbook, written by experts, describes the step-by-step process for winning one of the 150,000 collegiate athletic scholarships available every year in over 35 different sports.

This easy-to-read workbook teaches students how to:

o Develop a step-by-step game plan to win a sports scholarship
o Get noticed by college coaches
o Assess their athletic and academic skills with a series of quizzes
o Assemble their own Sports Resume Kit
o Decide which is the best college for them
o Negotiate scholarship offers successfully
... Read more

Reviews (13)

A Great Help to Us
This book was of great help to us. It helped us get comfortable with the idea of contacting college coaches without waiting for them to find us. We recommend highly.

What a waste
Very frustrating. If you need the information in this book, you probably are not smart enough to be considering college in any case. Filled with helpful information like "write a letter". There are better sources out there, save yourself some money and look elsewhere for help.

Must have for ANYONE interested in sports scholarship
This was an invaluable aid in our recruitment process. It is a very easy to follow guide for letter writing, organization of schools, and user-friendly in it's entire format. While using this book as a starting place, it was necessary to find additional resources of information. But this was great to get us started.

We have recommended this book to other sports parents, many have found it helpful in a very long, confusing process.

Extremely helpful book
Very well organized, chock full of helpful charts, quotes from coaches and timelines, this book is geared toward walking high school students through the process in a way that is clear and nonthreatening. As a parent of such an athlete, I found this a very useful resource.

It worked for us!
This book helped my son get a partial Div. 1 athletic scholarship. We followed the steps and generated a lot of interest. It was extremely valuable for us. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An excellant college-help guide
This book has it all.From freshman to senior year of high school,it shows you how to prepare your strenghs(academic,social,sports) to have a good chance of getting into your favorite college.It helps you discover which collage is best for you. Taking you step-by-step through the application process,it gives you sound advice and valuable hints for covering all those college-application bases.A life-saver! ... Read more

Book Description

Tells students how they can stay out of debt by taking simple and easy measures, while still having the time of their lives at college.

You will learn:
* How to get a great summer job and make it pay.
* How to negotiate with a bank-and win.
* How to find affordable student housing.
* How to eat, drink, and be merry on a budget.
* How to graduate without a $25,000 to $40,000 student debt.
* How to cut costs with your telephone bill, utilities, laundry, and more.

Students need the kind of straightforward, accessible advice that Murray Baker delivers in this down-to-earth money management guide. This book will make you more aware of the "little things" you can do to help you cut costs, such as finding out the movies or restaurants that offer student discounts. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A very excellent and amusing book!
This is a great book, I loved reading it. Be careful when you pick it up because you might just get a tad distracted and want to read is all through! Overall, it has some major pointers on saving money, especially when it comes to food. Loads of hints.

Saving for the Future
This book is just jam-packed full of cost saving gems!! In fact, I have saved countless dollars through better management of my money through tips I learned in this book. Perhaps the best thing about this book were all the great tips for getting both summer employment and grant money. Lastly, unlike so many other money saving books I have attempted to plod through, I really found The Debt Free Grad fun to read. If I enjoyed my course work reading as much as this book, I would be an English major instead!

Not just for college students!
Murray Baker's Debt Free Graduate is an excellent resource. I work in college-level education, and have found the book to be very helpful in preparing information for students about how to be financially fit. Baker uses really practical examples of how we can save money in every aspect of our lives. I have definately picked up some tips that I can use, on everything from mutual funds to decorating my apartment for less... I highly recommend this book. It's a fun, easy read.

The Debt-Free Graduate:How to Survive College
Here's a book I wish someone gave me before I started College!

I was given this book as a gift and expected it to be a little difficult to read as it appeared to be a 'money' book. So I put it off a few weeks. Once I started reading, I was hooked. It's practical, comical and actually leaves you feeling excited about saving money, still enjoying the college experience but graduating with little to no debt. I believe that if I read this before I starting college, I would have had little problem graduating debt free. Some of the ideas are very unique and even discuss summer jobs, great tips on buying course books and housing. Other ideas are necessities every college student should know now, but also for life and in any career, such as some of the cost-cutting ideas and optimal ways to pay off any debt that may remain. The Debt Free Grad should be required reading for every college student! ... Read more