My husband and I are planning to send him to school next year (2010-11, not 09-10), and I think it is a good idea to start applying for scholarships. I have found several free online sites where you can search for scholarships, but I am skeptical that "fast, easy, FREE" is the best way to go about this. I know that a lot of people here are involved in higher education, so I'm hoping for some helpful advice.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
FastWeb is good. You WILL get spam -- they make their money by selling your email address (and on-site ads). But they have one of the best (possibly the best) searches around.
Will your husband be a grad or undergrad? Do you know at what school (most likely)?
Posted by Xann. (Member # 11482) on :
Fastweb isn't that bad with spam, as long as you block the few colleges that come after you afterwards. I only got three different things from them I think.
Be careful when filling out information though, it sometimes switches around some info. Like saying I was an Alpha Chi, and I don't know what that is.
Posted by Jamio (Member # 12053) on :
Undergraduate. He'll be starting at a two year school this fall (which won't be any big deal to pay for), and hopefully transferring to Ohio University next year.
I'm glad to hear that about Fastweb, since I just signed him up. Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Depending on your financial situation, it may be no cheaper (after financial aid) to attend a two-year school and transfer. And students going that route generally take longer and have (statistically) lower completion rates.
I recommend FAFSA4Caster, followed by a consultation with Ohio U's financial aid department. Only have pity on them, and wait until October or November. Right now is the middle of the busy season. (You're more likely to be able to set up a proper appointment when it's not crazy season too. )
[Edit: Sorry, I misread. Presumably too late for Ohio U this fall! But transferring to a 4-year school ASAP is generally a good idea. And the rest of my post stands.]
Posted by Jamio (Member # 12053) on :
He has a California High School Equivalency from 2003, and a perfectly abysmal GPA, so he assumed he would need a track record at the two-year in order to be accepted by OU. We also wanted a good chunk of time in order to get the monies together because we would like to do this dept-free.
Posted by rivka (Member # 4859) on :
Ah. Could be; that's something to take up with their admissions department. I have no idea what their criteria are.
Saving money in advance is great. I strongly suggest a consultation with a financial planner who is familiar with college financial aid to ensure that you are saving it in the way that will work best for you (CD v. 529 v. savings, etc.)
Posted by Jamio (Member # 12053) on :
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