Save And Pay For College: Your Complete Resource

Every dollar you save is a dollar your child won’t have to borrow. A 529 plan is the most popular way to save because your money grows tax-free when it’s used for education, and many states give you a tax break on contributions. The right account and the right amount depend on your family, so start with how much you can realistically save.

Admissions starts with planning: where your student wants to go, what they want to study, and what your family can afford. Then comes the application process, including admissions tests, which more colleges are requiring again. See our full college admissions section for more.

Paying for college is like a pie with a lot of slices. You want the biggest slices to come from free money like grants and scholarships, so the loan slice can be as small as possible. Everything starts with the FAFSA, which most colleges use to award aid, so file it as early as you can.

• How To Find Grants For College
• Pell Grant Chart
• How To Find College Scholarships
• Best Scholarship Search Websites
• How To Appeal A Financial Aid Award
• Financial Aid Programs By State
• Military And VA Education Benefits
• Federal Work-Study
• Do You Report A 401k Or IRA On The FAFSA?
• Net Worth Of Assets On The FAFSA
• When Are Tuition Bills Due?
• Tuition Insurance

Paying for graduate school works differently than undergrad. Parents usually aren’t part of the FAFSA, more of the funding comes from fellowships and assistantships, and new federal loan limits apply to grad and professional students. Most programs also require an admissions test, so plan your prep early.

Loans should fill whatever gap is left after aid, savings, and income. Federal loans come first because they have fixed rates and borrower protections. Parent PLUS loans now have annual and lifetime caps, so more families are comparing private student loans to cover the rest.

See Them AllStudent loan options for every education level

Learn what these financial aid terms mean, from A to Z.