| Planning
for College
Paying for college is a big financial responsibility
for any family. However, a majority (about 70%) of students here
at Tennessee Tech receive some type of financial aid to help manage
their school costs. The financial aid that we have at TTU includes
state and federal grants, student loans, parent loans, and a wide
variety of scholarships including the Tennessee Lottery Scholarship.
What can you be doing
to plan financially for college?
Use the Internet
The Internet has a lot of good information to think about when
you start to plan for college. Think about the scholarship
search sites at all the colleges and universities
where you might like to go to school, and check out the websites
for each of those schools.
Gather Information from
Different Schools
Find the financial aid section of the school website and check
out what the financial aid office uses to calculate the student’s
total cost of attendance, which is an official student budget
for each school. Be careful about this figure, since it includes
items like personal incidental expenses, books, and travel, which
are items that the school will not likely bill you for directly.
And items like room and board may be more than what the residence
halls and meal plans cost, because many schools like TTU use an
average dollar amount which factors in those late night snacks
and even off campus apartments. You can find TTU’s Cost
of Attendance on our web site.
Learn How to Apply for
Financial Aid
10-Step Application Check List.
Look Locally
for Scholarships
Ask for information about scholarships from your
high school guidance office, religious organizations, as well
as local community and civic groups. It’s at places like
these that you will find many scholarships offered by the organizations
such as the American Legion, Rotary Clubs, Girl and Boy Scouts,
and the YMCA. Don’t forget your parent’s employer,
as they may offer educational assistance or perhaps you would
qualify for a tuition discount, depending on where your mom or
dad works. There are also some legitimate and free national scholarship
search sites that have already been checked-out by schools such
as TTU. Learn more about
TTU Scholarships.
Look Nationally for
Free National Scholarship Search Sites
FastWeb:
Free Scholarships and College Searches
Scholarships.com
Free College Scholarship Search & Financial Aid Information
Resource
Scholarship
Scams If you have to pay money to get money, it's
probably a scam.
Search Government
Resources
The U. S. government has set up a web site just for you, too!
The gateway that provides access to government resources for planning
and paying for your education is www.students.gov.
This site has a lot of helpful information that you should definitely
check out!
Remember also that the U. S. Armed Forces offer financial aid
opportunities. For more information on recruitment incentives
and other ways to help pay for college, you should visit www.todaysmilitary.com.
Additionally, the Department of Veteran’s Affairs office
offers assistance. If you (or your spouse) are a veteran, or a
dependent of a veteran, you may be eligible for educational benefits.
Information is available at www.gibill.va.gov.
Explore Investment Opportunities
available for those who still have a few years before the student
enrolls.
College
Savings Plans Network
Smart
Money - College Planning
If you have any questions concerning the financial
aid process please contact our Financial Aid Office.
Tennessee Tech University Financial Aid
P.O. Box 5076
Cookeville, TN 38505
Phone: (931) 372-3073 or (800) 268-0236 FAX: (931) 372-6309
Questions or Comments, please e-mail financialaid@tntech.edu |
