(written by rising STAR, Meryssa)

Hey Readers!

I went to see my guidance counselor today to ask about ways to get money for college. I found out that there are many different ways to get money and many different types of money you can get. There are scholarships, which is money given to you for a variety of different skills or talents. The money can come from your employer, a club or sport, community organizations, or a specific institution. Most scholarships will have you fill out forms, write an essay and possibly get a letter of recommendation or two. This can seem like a lot of work, but it is free money to help you go to school!

There are also college loans, which is money that the federal government and/or a bank lends to you for college. This money can usually be used for tuition, room and board and books. Most loans let you defer paying the loan until after you are fully out of college, but always check.

Also, there is financial aid. Financial aid is money from either the federal government and/or the college that can help lower your tuition and other college costs based on financial need.

So I learned, and as I mentioned above, there are many different ways to pay for college. So don’t sweat it, there is always a way to get money for college.

Another thing I have started is a college savings account at a bank. This means that every time I get money I put a little bit into the account and before I know it, I will have a nice amount of money to put towards college. 

So to review...remember to research all the ways to pay for college. If you can start a college savings account, great! Every penny counts! Lastly, don’t sweat it, there is always someone to help you out. As always, if you have any questions or something you want to know more about, leave me a comment and I will be happy to write a blog about it.

Finding ways to pay,

Meryssa