7. Ask friends and relatives for help. You never know who might be willing to donate.
[Read How to raise $15,000 for college right away.]
8. Check your taxes. Couples who earn less than $160,000 can get as much as $2,500 back on their taxes for tuition paid in 2009 and 2010. Several other tax benefits, such as deductions for tuition and student loan interest, can ease the pain of college costs as well.
9. Ask your college about temporary emergency loans. More colleges are offering these because of the recent economic troubles. Warning: college emergency loans are typically designed just to help students over short bumps. They are typically small and short-term. In addition, colleges often require students to provide references or proof that there's an unexpected emergency, not just a cable bill that's past due.
10. Ask your college about payment plans. While these don't reduce costs or raise cash—in fact, many schools charge $50 for the ability to pay in installments—they do at least give students extra time to raise money. For example, instead of requiring the full cost up front, many colleges allow students to make monthly payments.
11. Start applying for next year's aid. If it is too late for aid for the current or coming semester, start filling out the applications now for the semester after next. At the very least, start a calendar so that you don't miss future deadlines and have to go through this again next year, Hassan advises.
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Reader Comments Read all comments (2)
Martha of AR 10:40AM September 16, 2010
Monica of MI 6:42AM May 04, 2010