I just received the 2013 edition of Paying for College Without Going Broke by Kalman Chany. This was a complimentary copy from The Princeton Review which often sends me books for evaluation.
I have reviewed past editions of this book but wanted to once again give my opinion that this is one book that everyone who can not afford to pay $50,000 a year for college needs to read. The book discusses strategies to reduce what you will have to pay for college and walks parents line by line through a FAFSA and a CSS Profile.
While many of the steps to completing these forms has gotten easier over the years, there are still areas where you can cost yourself thousands of dollars by not completing the form correctly. And while the book is great for parents of seniors who will be filling out financial aid forms in the next few months, there is also great advise on long term strategies for paying for college for parents of younger students.
The book discusses such topics as:
- What the parent and the student should- and shouldn’t- do to get the most aid
- How to find the best education loans, and handle repayment issues
- How to appeal for more aid if the college’s initial offer isn’t enough
- What single or divorced parents need to know about aid eligibility
- Advice for independent students
- Benefits and drawbacks of 529 plans, Coverdells, and UGMA/UTMAs
and much more.
The book retails for $20 but is available at the time of writing on Amazon for $13.60. I highly recommend it.
I too have read great things about this book. I think it would serve all future college students and parents well by reading it for tips. The college financial aid world can be daunting for new parents and students.