Paying for College
Paying for college means more than just being able to cover your college tuition —you’ll need to budget for things like student fees, books, room and board, travel, and transportation to and from school.
Get an estimate of all your college costs, including fees, supplies, and living expenses, with our college cost calculator.
Once you have a better idea of what your college budget will be, research your financing options with our online guides to college scholarships, savings plans, federal financial aid, and other ways of paying for college.
Start right now on your search for free money for college with the award-winning Scholarship Search Engine, an online database of more than $16 billion in scholarships that’s completely free to use.
Calculate Your College Costs
Use our tools, checklists, and college cost calculator to estimate how much you’ll actually be paying for college, once you include things like books, gas, and living expenses, in addition to your college tuition.
Start Saving for College
Parents, find out how you can get a head start on saving for your children’s college education with college savings plans and other savings options that let you set aside money for college.
Find Free Money for College
Search for college grants and scholarships — absolutely free! — using the award-winning Scholarship Search Engine that currently indexes more than 5.9 million scholarships worth over $16 billion. Plus get tips on applying for different types of scholarships and maximizing your chances of getting the free money you’re looking for.
Know Your Federal Financial Aid Options
Find everything you need to know about federal student financial aid with our financial aid glossary and complete guide to federal parent loans, undergraduate loans, graduate student loans, grants, work-study, and other federal financial aid programs.
Borrow Money for College
Get all the information you need on borrowing money to pay for college, from private student loans and low-cost federal education loans to loan forgiveness programs, along with tips for filling out college loan applications and comparing student loan lenders.
Find More Ways to Pay Your College Tuition
If your savings, scholarships, and federal financial aid package don’t cover all your college costs, look into these alternatives — including tuition payment plans, volunteer service, and college cost reduction strategies — for other ways to help pay for college.