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L27: PAYING FOR COLLEGE: Go Get The MONEY Go Get The Money


MONEY is the number one reason why people don’t go to COLLEGE! One thing I learned at an early age is that If there’s a WILL, there’s a WAY! There is FREE MONEY out there but it requires you to do the work to find it! We live in a digital world so the answers to your issues are right under your nose or should I say FINGER TIPS! Some families aren’t fortunate enough to save money for a college or trust fund. I know that feeling all too well. I had many financial struggles throughout my journey but I never let it stop my grind and you shouldn’t let it slow you down either! Here are a number of helpful tips to gain financial assistance:

The Basics

  • If you’re in high school, visit your school counselor. If you’re already enrolled in college, go visit the financial aid office and ask as many questions as possible. They are there to help you!

  •  Next, visit www.fafsa.ed.gov (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) and fill out the application completely. Be sure to meet ALL of the deadlines! The new application is always available in January.F.Y.I. You will need your parent’s Income Tax information to complete this application. Even if they haven’t filed their income tax yet, go ahead and start your application as soon as possible. You will always be able to access your account and finish your application at a later date.

  •  After you complete your application, you’ll receive your EFC (Estimated Family Contribution).This is an estimate of how much your family will be obligated to pay for your college education. Now that you have a ballpark figure of what you’ll need for college, it’s time to HUSTLE!

Scholarship Websites

  • www.fastweb.com

  • www.zinch.com

  • www.scholarships.com

  • www.college-scholarships.com

  • www.collegenet.com

  • www.collegequest.com

  • www.absolutelyscholarships.com

  • www.finaid.org/scholarships.com.

  •  Visit www.supercollege.com to help you find scholarships. It teaches you how to get accepted and pay for college.

  •  Scholarship America also has a scholarship called The Dream Award which is a second year scholarship. Visit https://scholarshipamerica.org for additional details.

Coach K Note:These are scholarship websites and they will allow you the opportunity to view and apply for numerous scholarships. Apply for as many scholarships, fellowships and grants as possible. Even if you don’t meet all of the requirements, apply for it anyway! Your new best friend will be www.google.com so set aside plenty of time to simply search and apply for financial assistance. Visit the library, look at the scholarship books and apply for as many as possible. Visit your counselor’s office and financial aid office regularly to build rapport with the staff. Check with your institution about work study opportunities, assistantships, research and scholarships.

Loan Breakdown

There are also personal, unsubsidized and subsidized Stafford Loans. If you can avoid getting loans, PLEASE do so but if you need them...GET THEM! I repeat, ONLY if you NEED them! Local banks, counselors and the financial aid office will have all the information you need.

Personal Loan: A loan that is granted for personal use which establishes consumer credit; usually unsecured and based on the borrower’s integrity and ability to pay.

Unsubsidized Stafford Loan: The unsubsidized Federal Stafford Loan is a federal student loan that is not based on financial need. Interest accrues on unsubsidized loans from the time the loan is disbursed by the school. If the borrower does not pay the interest as it accrues, it is capitalized (added to the loan balance).

Subsidized Stafford Loans: The subsidized Federal Stafford Loan is a federal student loan that is for undergraduate students with financial need as determined by the cost of attendance minus expected family contribution and other financial aid (such as grants or scholarships). The federal government pays the interest on subsidized loans during periods of authorized deferment such as “in-school” and “economic hardship” deferments. This makes subsidized loans the less-expensive option for students.

Coach K Note: College is an investment in your FUTURE! Getting your DEGREE is a TICKET to entering this game we call LIFE so if you really want to attend school, getting a loan might be your only option. Don’t feel bad if you are accumulating debt in order to accomplish your goal. Sometimes you have to sacrifice in order to keep it moving. Be smart in your decisions! Don’t borrow more than you need but don’t be embarrassed if you have take out a loan. Millions, and I do mean MILLIONS, of students take out loans for school. You invest $200 in shoes so why not invest $20,000 in your FUTURE. After college you will have a six month grace period before you will have to start making payments on your borrowed loans. There are also plenty of income based rate adjustments you can place on your loans or economic hardship deferments. After taking out your loan, call your lender and ask them about their IBR (Income Based Rate) Programs and how they work. If you have the money to start paying back your loans early, PLEASE do so! It’s never too early to start paying on your loans.

Paying for College Out of Pocket

Depending on your individual situation getting loans or getting financial aid might be difficult. So the next option would be to pay for college out of your pocket. There are a few ways you could setup your payments but it all depends on the institutions rules and regulations. Take the time to visit the financial aid office and talk to them about your options. These are the options I know about.

  • There are installment options. (Example: Three part installment payments)

  • Temporary loans available through your institution’s financial aid office.

Action Plan

The money is out there but you have to HUSTLE and WORK to get it! If you truly want to get scholarships and grants it's important that you set aside a dedicated time to work on your scholarship applications. You have to setup a application schedule and stick to the plan. Here's a few examples of how you can setup your ACTION PLAN and then EXECUTE!

  1. CREATE A CHART: Separate your chart into four sections: Requirements, Award Amount, Due Date and Contact Information.

  2. RESEARCH: Go to the websites I listed earlier and try to find scholarships that apply to you. Put all of the information in the four sections on your chart.

  3. ORGANIZE: Once you have all of your information in the chart place them in order by due date and requirements. NOTE: If you have to write an essay for the one or more scholarships you could possibly use the same essay twice. This is why it's so important to put them in order so that you can review the requirements and minimize your work.

  4. SCHEDULE: Break your chart up into smaller pieces. Set a goal for yourself to complete a specific amount of scholarships per week. Set deadlines and stick to the schedule you put in place. After a while applying for scholarships will naturally become apart of your routine.

  5. TAKE ACTION: You have to put in the work if you want to see results! After you take the time to setup your chart the application process will be a little bit easier.

Don't get discouraged if you don't get a lot of scholarships! Please remember that this is a process that requires you to be consistent and focused. It's all about how bad you want it. Don't wait until the last minute to start planning for your future. Pray about your journey, lace up your kicks and GET TO WORK! YOU GOT THIS!

If you need assistance please visit www.level27coaching.com and talk to Coach K! I'd be more than happy to help you with your planning. I hope this blog post was helpful and insightful.

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Until Next Time.........Stay Focused, Keep Grinding and Respect the Process!

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