Attending and graduating college these days is very expensive. Getting a college education is possible with Suntech student loans. These days, getting a college education can be difficult, if not impossible. Without an educational financial plan a college degree may be unattainable. Fortunately, there are now many student loans packages that are being offered to students who dream of a college diploma but could not afford one.

Suntech student loans are being expertly managed by the Collegiate Funding Services-Suntech Servicing. As the seventh largest service provider of Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), Suntech is a company well known for its integrity and high quality loan servicing.

Suntech student loans offer a student several options but the best one is loan consolidation. Loan consolidation means that all loans are being merged into one so that there is a single major account to manage. Oftentimes, a student may need more than just one account to put himself through college. Assuming that he is granted several loans, such loans will have varying interest rates. A glaring problem with multiple accounts is the tendency to miss a payment of at least one of the accounts. Worse, the student may be charged with penalties for missed payments. This is where the beauty of the loans consolidation program comes in. It is a wise move to seek student loan consolidation advice from Suntech.

One of the first things the Suntech student loans consolidation program does is to look at all the student loans that the prospective borrower is presently carrying. Carefully analyzing the varied interest rates, Suntech will offer to the borrower the consolidation program borrower that will combine all of his federal student loans into one, resulting to reduced interest rates by as much as 50%. In many cases consolidation allows one a longer period of repayment. For instance, if the regular period of repayment is only ten years, one can be given a period of up to thirty years with the Suntech student loans consolidation program. This effectively lowers the monthly loan payment at time when money is tight.

Another great feature of this loans consolidation program is that it requires no credit checks, so even if one has no satisfactory credit rating (and this is quite common in students), he can still complete a college education through Suntech.

Suntech’s student loans consolidation program will work best for those who are unable to effectively manage multiple accounts. At the same time, it will also benefit those who may have a hard time paying off their loans after graduation when to student is just entering the job market.

Children’s education is an important chapter in the life of any parent. Most of the children plan to attend colleges to receive higher education in any particular field in which they have interest. Since the tuition fees are increasing day by day, finding a means to meet the educational expenses disturbs students and parents equally.

There are various ways in which parents can find a solution to meet such high expenses coming in their child’s life. Scholarships, loans and grants are a few of them, while the best method is to save money starting from the birth of the baby so that, parents will have enough money with them, by the time the child is ready for a college life.

The method chosen depends on the financial status of the family. If you have a better sound finance, you can go for a trust fund in which you will collect interest as it matures with the growth of the child. You will have the freedom to decide how to use this trust fund and can decide that the fund is not disbursed until the child is proving that he is going to attend the college.

You can approach banks and other financial institutions for starting such funds that grow in size according to the investment or the periodic deposits made or flow of funds from other locations. You can work with the help of an investment firm who will help you in saving money for your children’s college education. They will allow professionals to use your money for making investments in stocks and exchanging the stocks to get cash and bonds when the child is ready for a college education.

People who don’t have a good financial status need not worry in the future for their child’s education. You can have other methods which can be started with small money in your pocket. You can invest that small amount of money in a savings account in a bank that will offer you a high rate of interest on that account. You should manage from the household budget in a way so that you will have enough money to increase the size of the savings account every quarter. You will have a reasonably good amount of money in your account by the time the child turns 18.

You can check if you are eligible for some special interest rates strictly adhering to the regulations. If you are making withdrawals in a way that you will save more than spending, you will be able to make chunk amounts for your child’s education.

You will get financial assistance in the form of loans and many parents try to shelter the funds they have with them so that they get a good amount as loans. It is always better to encourage children to get scholarships and grants based on merits. Such grants will help you to save the money earned through the above methods for helping the children start a new life in the future. You will have enough money with you for your child’s education as well as career.

For many this is a no brainer, but you should still consider the pluses and minuses before you start investing in your child’s future. If you are wondering what the heck a 529 College plan is, read further for the answers. A 529 College plan is a tax deferred savings plan for your kids education. These are very similar to a 401(k) savings plan often used for retirement. In this article we will be covering the benefits of the 529 college plan, how the plans work, and some pluses and minuses to consider.

The 529 college plan is a great way to start investing now in your child’s future. The 529 plans are typically sponsored by each state and helps you save tax free. Not only is it beneficial due to the tax benefits but most plans let you purchase your credits in advance in today’s dollars. These credits will be honored when your child enters college. The savings can be large due to the fact that inflation is not a factor in your prepaid tuition. What a deal!

One of the other main benefits of the 529 plans are that you can get into the habit of investing on a regular basis. Some of these plans do let you withdraw your money with no penalty ,and others charge you 10% for early withdrawal. If you start early when your children are in elementary school you will reap the most benefit from both inflation and tax deferment.

529 College savings plans are typically ran by each state. There are also independent funds that you can invest in just like a normal investing account. Typically, there is an enrollment period each year when you can apply and setup your account. From that point forward you can buy credits and invest in the fund whenever you would like. The cost is typically adjusted each year due to inflation. Anyone can donate money to a 529 college plan.

Each parent can contribute a maximum of $11000 a year per child. The limit is $22,000 for married couples investing jointly. If other family members are investing as well the maximum limit is $55,000. The largest plus for 529 college funds are the tax free investment you can make into your child’s future. The second advantage is that the plan is typically in the parents name and acts as an asset for the parent as does any investment account. One of the minuses is that congress has only permitted federal exclusions through 2010. If this time period is not extended it may not be beneficial for kids planning on attending college after 2010. It is very likely this exclusion will be extended as there is over $200+ billion invested currently in 529 college plans. In addition, those funds that you invest today will still benefit from both pre-tax and inflation savings in the future.

The 529 college plans are a great investment vehicle for your child’s future. Make sure you read the fine print on each plan you consider and get enrolled today. If you make a habit of investing every month, before you know it your child’s college tuition will be covered.

March and April are busy times for colleges across the United States. This is when the bulk of acceptance letters and award letters are sent out to nail-biting anxious students and their parents.

With the anxiety of waiting over some students and parents are shocked and bewildered at the award letters. These prospective college students were hoping for more scholarships, grants the free money and less student loans.

To top it off some parents didn’t even try to apply for any financial aid because they were duped into believing they would not qualify for anything.

Most parents think they make to much money to qualify for aid. The truth is with a little bit of strategic planning they could get college financial aid.

It’s really sad, but most parents that we talk to have done pretty good financially, but never found the time to save for college, and now they’re facing a bill of $18,000-$48,000 a year, and they don’t know who to turn to. Further more, a strong majority of the time, all these parents hear is to not even bother applying for any aid because they make too much money. However, most of the time, that is simply not true…even if they make a six-figure income.

Simply put, the truth is parents need to be informed about how the college process really works.

A high percentage of the financial aid forms are submitted incorrectly which results in excessive time sending the form back for correction and re-submittal. By the time the form is resubmitted some sources have run out of money because it was already given out. In this case the early bird does get the worm. With proper guidance this could have been avoided.

Having done an excessive amount of research in the college admissions and the financial aid process, if you know how the college financial aid game is played you can stack the deck in your favor, legally.

Don’t believe all the naysayers and doom and gloomers. You can reduce your college expenses.

If you have college bound kids, you should be aware of the 529 college savings plan, one of the best ways to save for your kids’ education future. The 529 college savings plan is a tax-free mutual fund investment option for any college or university in the country.

Many parents are not sure if the 529 college savings plan is the best option. There are calculators available to help make that decision. You can compare your estimated earnings in a regular taxable account with what you would earn with a 529 college savings plan. Depending on how much time you have before the college years, you are subject to come ahead with the 529 college savings plan.

Weigh your options

Before you begin using a savings plan estimator, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, most calculators only work with college savings plans. Consider a prepaid tuition plan only if you are certain that the beneficiary of the plan will attend one of the participating schools. These plans guarantee today’s tuition rates for the future. Withdrawals from prepaid tuition plans are also tax-free.

Federally tax free withdrawals for qualifying college expenses from a 529 college savings plan are considered gifts for federal tax purposes. This is applicable for annual contributions not greater than $12,000 for individuals, and $24,000 for married couples making joint contributions. You can also make a lump sum payment equivalent to five years worth of contributions which total $60,000 for individuals; $120,000 for married couples.

Also keep in mind that you must set up a separate 529 college savings plan for each child or grandchild. The limits would apply to each account separately.

Gains from investments related to your 529 college savings plan is subject to the lower capital gains rate, if held for more than one year. The same rule applies for qualified dividends. However, short-term gains and interest are taxed at your regular tax rate.

How the tax savings calculator works

Generally, most tax savings calculators will require the following information: the number of years remaining until the child enters college; the estimated rate for a college fund if you invested in a taxable account rather than a 529 plan; whether you will make a lump sum payment or installments and the number of years you will contribute; and, the average return expected.

Results will give the estimated value at college age; estimated after-tax value at college age; and, the amount you will have and percentage gained from investing in a 529 college savings plan.

Finally, estimates are just that – estimates. You will not know the exact amount until you begin investing. However, educating yourself prior to selecting a plan helps you to understand what to expect.

Growing up, lots of kids are left thinking that, tucked away in a bank somewhere, safely nestled away, there exists a substantial college fund just waiting for the day they graduate high school and get accepted to college. This belief comes from a history of movies, books, and television shows which tell us that parents start college funds for their children some time after the first sonogram – but this simply is not true. It is through no fault of the parents and sometimes, of course, parents do have college funds tucked away for their children. Those who do not are by no means bad parents – it is difficult to save money for anything these days, when everything – especially college expenses – is so much more expensive than it used to be. Fortunately, there is now a college savings plan called the 529 Plan, which is designed to help parents – or anyone else – save money for the future college experience.

The 529 Plan is a tax-advantaged investment. It was created to encourage parents, grandparents, legal guardians, et cetera, to begin saving money for the future college educations of their children, grandchildren, are legal wards. It receives its name from Section 529 in the Internal Revenue Code, and it is offered by state agencies and state organizations.

Not all states offer the 529 Plan just yet, but those which do individually decide how the plan is designed and what kinds of investment options they will offer. Most plans allow investors to come from out of state. The advantages for in-state residents who apply for the 529 college savings plan within their state can include tax deductions, matching grant and scholarship opportunities, protection from creditors, and even exemption from financial aid debt.

The 529 Plan is offered in two different forms. There is a prepaid plan, sometimes also called a guaranteed savings plan, which allows for the purchase of tuition ahead of time, based on the current calculations of what the tuition of a specific university is. It is then paid out when the beneficiary of the policy attends a college or university.

There are also savings plans, which are based around the market performance of underlying investment. These are generally comprised of mutual funds. An astounding forty-eight states, plus the District of Columbia, offer the 529 savings plan. Usually, savings plans become more conservative, the older the beneficiary gets. There are also options for risk-based investments, which allows underlying investments to remain in the same fund, no matter what the age of the ultimate recipient.

The 529 college savings plans are a great way for parents, grandparents, or legal guardians to ensure that their young loved ones will be able to afford to go to the very best colleges and receive the very best degrees. It allows children the opportunity to follow their dreams, like before they are actually capable of reaching them. They are ideal plans for adults who want to provide college funds for their children but are unsure or unable to go about it in the way the movies have always told them they should. The 529 plans are realistic and affordable investments, designed to ensure a child’s future successes.

It is never too early and it is never too late to start thinking about college. Nevertheless, early is always better.

What are you and your child doing to prepare for college?

THE EARLY YEARS

Begin college preparation in kindergarten, young students are receptive to thinking about college. Spend the early years exploring study methods, reading and experiencing life, find opportunities that increase curiosity and open the mind to creative and organized thought processes. Foster goal oriented thinking and time management skills in the child, so in the future they will have the tools to keep themselves on task.

Young students are especially successful at learning languages and music, even a child as young as four or five can start taking piano or keyboard lessons. If you have the means to expose them to a second language through travel or tutoring, give it a try, children can pick up second languages much faster than adults.

Of course, it is never too early to open a college savings account.

JUNIOR HIGH

By junior high, students should have a solid understanding of mathematics and be able to compose logical, grammatically correct essays.

Establish a college savings fund or other fund designed specifically for higher education if you haven’t already, this is a good time to start. See your local bank or credit union to find an account that offers the best rate. Parents should discuss investments and deposits to the college fund with the child, it is important that they understand the realities of how much college and living outside the home costs.

Children at this age are capable of visualizing their own future independent of parents, and strive for a decision-making role in their own lives. Recognize and respect uniqueness, support interests and allow them to evaluate opportunities. Of course, teenagers might think they know everything, so before they make a choice, ask them carefully thought out questions to guide them to a logical and informed decision.

HIGH SCHOOL

In high school, curriculum, grade point average and extracurricular activities become important factors in regards to college entrance requirements and scholarship opportunities.

Generally, most colleges desire that the student successfully complete the following basic subjects in high school:

4 years of English
3 years of Math, including Algebra and Geometry
3 years of history and social sciences
2 years of lab sciences
2 years of a foreign language

College Guidance Counselor: Students should begin meeting with a guidance counselor at the beginning of 9th grade to ensure that all of the proper course work is taken, maintain a relationship throughout high school. Often the counselor can provide information on college entrance exams and scholarship information.

A Note on Mathematics: Since many students struggle to retain their math skills, it is unwise to skip math in the senior year. Forgetting valuable information before taking placement exams, Advanced Placement Tests, the SAT or ACT could prevent the student from receiving a high score or require them to take a remedial math class in college.

Quite often parents have forgotten their advanced math course work and do not have the skills to help with homework, so investing in a tutor could prove beneficial. Usually a knowledgeable and affordable tutor can be found at a local university or junior college.

One way to keep math skills sharply honed, instead of four years of math, is by taking a year of trigonometry, algebra or calculus based physics. Many bachelor degree programs only require statistics or intermediate college algebra, so even if the student does not make it through calculus in high school, for most programs they will be adequately prepared with intermediate algebra, geometry and trigonometry.

The Essay: Learning to write essays well will help students to succeed in college and most scholarship applications will require an essay of some sort. Even math or microbiology majors write essays, so learning to write a good essay is paramount.

Honor Classes: Colleges not only look at grades, but also the coursework, quite often a B grade in an advanced placement class or an honors class will carry more weight than an A grade in a regular class. So even if the curriculum is more challenging, enroll in honor level class or advanced placement classes whenever possible.

Extracurricular: Colleges look for well-rounded students who contribute to their community. Extracurricular activities whether in sports, student government, art or volunteer work enriches school and life experiences, provides the opportunity to learn teamwork and connects students to the community in which they live.

Sometimes competition to get on high school sports teams excludes students from participating, if this is the case, look for other activities such as karate, dance or intramural teams. Often students as young as 16 years of age can enroll in local university/junior college courses in subjects such as rock-climbing, kayaking or racquetball.

Student government provides leadership skills, colleges look for students that have held a student officer position, participated as a class representative or in campus clubs.

Some students enjoy participating in local theatre productions or taking art classes.

Volunteer opportunities are unlimited, look around in the community and find something of interest. Better yet, if there is an unmet need in the community, create the solution.

Employment: Consider summer employment to assist with college expenses and to learn valuable work skills and responsibility. Colleges especially favor young entrepreneurs.

Mentoring/ Job Shadowing: It is never too early to research real-life employment situations. If a student thinks they want to be an accountant, find a willing accountant in the community that can answer questions about the day-to-day realities of their job and the training required to perform their duties. Quiet often too much time is spent thinking about a dream job without researching the realities. Half way through college or after graduation is too late to start investigating career choices. So before valuable time and money is wasted, evaluate career choices thoroughly.

Letters of Recommendation: In the junior year, after establishing good relationships with teachers and leaders in the community, ask for letters of recommendations to accompany college and employment applications.

COLLEGE ENTRANCE EXAMS

Most colleges and universities require either SAT or ACT scores and the PSAT qualifies students for the National Merit Scholarship. Contact the selected universities and inquire about which exam they require. However, do not limit the opportunity of attendance at a different university, take both exams, so all options are available. Do not let financial hardship prevent the student from taking these tests, talk to the guidance counselor about a fee waiver. All of the exams can make accommodations for students with documented disabilities.

Scores: Every school has different score and GPA requirements. But usually it is a combination of the two, for example an exceptionally high exam score can give you a little room on your GPA, and vice versa.

PSAT/National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test: Evalutes skills in critical reading, math problem solving and writing.

Registration for this test is not available online, contact the high school counselor for registration information.
Study through the first two years of high school and take this exam in the 10th grade.

SAT: Tests critical reading, math problem solving and writing skills.

Get a SAT Registration Booklet from the guidance counselor at the high school to register by mail, or go the College Board website to register online.
Study for this test through the 9th and 10th grade year.
Take SAT early in the junior year, so if the score is lower than desired there is plenty of time to retake.

ACT: Comprises multiple-choice sections that cover English, mathematics, reading and science. The test also offers a written test that evaluates a short essay.

Register by contacting a high school guidance counselor or go the ACT website.
Study for this exam through the 9th and 10th grade.
Take this exam in the 11th grade, so there is time for a retake if necessary.

How to prepare for the college entrance exams:

Read good books, magazines and timely news informationTake a preparation coursePurchase and use preparation softwareTake practice testsIncrease your vocabulary, including roots, prefixes and derivationsOvercome test anxietyTake challenging classes during high school yearsStudy and write essays,/li>

Advanced Placement Tests: These tests can earn credit in college level courses and eligibility for an AP Scholar Award. Tests are single subject exams, offered in 35 different subjects, ranging from art history to physics to world history. These tests can be taken any year, but contact the AP coordinator, or call AP Services at 888-225-5427 to find the local AP coordinator and testing schedule.

Financial Aid and Scholarships: Federal Pell grants are available for students who have financial need; qualification is based on parents’ income. To apply for the Pell grant call 1-800-4FED-AID or apply online at www.fasfa.com. Talk to the universities’ financial aid office to inquire about other funds, scholarships, grants and student loans. Tuition can be costly, but do not forget living expenses, which in some cases require more money than tuition and books.

College Application: During the summer before the senior year, finish the final research on college selection and check on their website to find out the freshmen application date. Be sure to find out what other items they require such as, test scores, transcripts, letters of recommendation or other documents such as proof of disability or military status.

LEAVING HOME

Many kids will leave their parent’s home to attend college. Learning to balance life, schoolwork and employment is a difficult task for many students. So preparing for these issues before leaving home can greatly increase the chances for a smooth transition between high school and living at home to college and living on their own.

Life Skills: Knowing how to write an essay or memorization of the quadratic formula will not help with day-to-day living, helpful skills to learn before leaving home include:

Basic cooking
Looking for and applying for a job, résumé preparation
Looking for and applying for an apartment, roommates
Budget and bill paying, filing taxes
Bargain shopping
Laundry and house cleaning
Street Smarts and self defense
Auto insurance, basic car maintenance
Using public transportation
Civic responsibility, local laws, voting and jury duty
Health care, patient rights, insurance and public health
Relationship and personal boundaries

Proper preparation can help guarantee success and a smooth transition to independence. Preparing for college and preparing for adult life should not be left to chance or with hopes that knowledge will come naturally during the high school years. Most of all, it is important to not limit opportunity and choice by bad preparation.

References

College Board – http://www.collegeboard.com/splash-

Rigoglioso, Marguerite. Stanford Graduate School of Business: Bad Preparation Puts Community College Students at Risk. – http://www.gsb.stanford.edu/news/research/socialinnovation_kirst_collegestudents.shtml

U.S. Department of Education, Office of the Under Secretary, Preparing Your Child for College – http://www.ed.gov/pubs/Prepare/pt5.html

For parents or grandparents, there are few things in life more important than funding for a loved one’s college education.

Throughout the years, folks have selected mutual funds as the primary vehicle when saving for college costs. Although there are many variations of mutual fund based plans-from the traditional brokerage account to the newer 529 plans; there is even a Education IRA that is popular as well. The latter plans were developed so that a person could save for college, using after tax money and based upon the underlying mutual funds, the person could enjoy tax-deferred savings

A lot of the financial press has been dedicated to promoting the virtues of these savings vehicles from the standpoint that college costs are rising faster than inflation and a family needs to accelerate their savings using these types of plans. However, hidden in the fine print was the unfortunate realization that these types of vehicles could, in fact, lose money! How many families were shocked when their hard-earned money evaporated when the stock market declined 35% decline in the S&P 500 Index from 2000-2002-only to have it go down another 46% decline from October 2007- October 2008?

The problem with a lot of college planning techniques is that money is typically invested in mutual funds inside these plans and those funds are 100% at risk to loss due to stock market downturns thereby subjecting the invested money to the 46% and 35% declines listed above.

So if you can lose money in mutual funds, how do you save for college? That’s a good question and the simple answer is that “it depends”. This is a simple answer that many quality financial advisors use to determine the right solution for your needs. It is also a way to do a proper job for any potential investor-thereby not throwing the “latest and greatest” product or plan at a potential client!

Generally speaking you could have put money into a tin can for the last 18 years and had more money than investing in the market! Hmmm, let’s say that again-more money in a tin can than the market-whatever do you mean? First off, you need to start with some kind of deposit, let’s say $50,000 or the amount necessary to accumulate $50,000 in 18-years which in this case would be $231.48 per month (assumes no interest or taxes paid). Now, let’s think about your own situation, if you had put away that money-knowing full well that it’s not earning a penny-would you be happy with that? “It depends”. There he goes again with that simple phrase! If you started with $50,000 and because of the market it is now worth $25,000-then the answer is an emphatic YES! If you had $50,002.50-maybe. If it was worth $101,290.83-definitely NO! What about $79,938.88, again definitely NO!

But, how would you guarantee< $79,938 or $101,290 to be there in 18-years? Certainly not from a tin can-right? Correct! These numbers represent investing $231.48 per month for 18-years at an interest rate of 4% or depositing $50,000 into an account that pays 4% for 18-years. But where could one find a steady 4% interest rate? One place is a fixed, deferred annuity. A fixed annuity is a safe savings vehicle brought about by an insurance company. Your money earns a fixed interest rate declared by the insurance company, using not less than 3% annually. Some annuities pay a multi-year guaranteed rate of interest, which can be 4% or higher depending on the term of the plan.

Now are you ready for the good part? Wait, you are telling me that having invested $50,000 18-years ago is now worth $101,290 is not the good part? Yes. It is a very good part, but let’s get back to our original discussion about college savings. If you are a parent whose son or daughter is approaching college and much like your peer group, you have saved money in (my opinion) the wrong places-ie. Mutual funds, you are now going to be faced with another problem: Financial Aid eligibility! Without getting too much into detail, all the money that you’ve invested for their college may now go against you for financial aid purposes! However, if you had invested in a fixed annuity, do not worry because those monies are sheltered from the financial aid formulas. Now, your family (depending upon many other factors) can reasonably expect to receive some financial aid that you may not have received due to money that is open to discussion on your balance sheet!

Stephen J. Cagnassola

Wealth Protection Systems and upon distribution to the college-tax-free withdrawals!

Students who want to study in college can get United States government grants in several forms and they can study further for free or almost for free of cost. It is also available for basic and school education. The process should be started early as there are many people who apply for it.

Different forms of government college funds include:

• student low-interest loans
• scholarships
• US government college work funds
• some other types of funds

All students should get a chance to study further and the government makes the cash available. You can also get funds like:

• high school diploma government grants
• higher education grants

Funds are available for all levels of education including:

• to continue your education
• to get a masters degree
• to obtain a different type of degree
• to starting college

You must start the process as early as December or January of the previous year of starting the college. It is important to give enough time for your form to get processed because the funds for education are limited. You may not be able to join when you want.

You can find many schools and colleges which have free courses. You can apply there if you want to do a high school course. It is better to fill the forms in early as the courses can fill up fast. People who apply can get funding. The US government offers free money for education. It is very essential for all kinds of education funds to do the paperwork properly and fill in the forms early.

As an educator for over 20 years, a high school administrator for the past 12 years, a Hispanic, and the parent of a freshman, I know first hand how daunting preparation for college can be. Fortunately, there are several things that can be done in order to prepare your child for a scholarship and many Hispanic scholarships are available.

A good starting place is the National Hispanic Institute, an organization started in 1979 that assists promising Hispanic youth with the college admissions process and with the development of their leadership potential. Their website espouses college and university visits that are specially designed to encourage high school age Hispanic students to aspire to take leadership positions in society.

The Kappa Delta Chi sorority also offers competitive scholarships for Hispanic women in order to access their first year of college.

The Hispanic College Fund is also an excellent resource for aspiring Hispanic college youth. Their mission is to provide “talented and underprivileged Hispanic youth with vision, mentors, resources and scholarships” (Hispanic College Fund website). Last year they provided over $1.8 million to 615 youth.

Finally, the Hispanic Scholarship Fund, headed by Sara Martinez Tucker, has the goal of doubling the rate of Hispanics earning college degrees by 2010.

Finding the funding sources is half the battle. After that initial step, aspiring applicants need to complete the application, which often includes an essay, and try to distinguish themselves form other applicants as the most worthy. This is where applicants find the most challenge. Finding guidance personnel at the school is often the best first step. They have staff members trained, ready, and able to assist. Other alternatives are finding for-pay, web-based resources.

In any case, the goal is to gather as much financial support from as many different sources as possible because college can be an expensive proposition and our Hispanic youth deserve the opportunity to access those institutions of higher learning.