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Planning and paying for college

Discover all the ways to plan and pay for your college degree.

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A good place to start

Step 1

Mother and teenage daughter completing forms at a kitchen table

How to complete your FAFSA application

Follow these simple tips to ease the financial aid process for you and your family.

Step 2

A student compares financial aid award letters

How can students compare (and appeal) college financial aid award letters?

Just as no two schools are the same, neither are any two financial aid offers. Learning how to compare — and appeal, if needed — your award letters is key to selecting the school that matches your situation.

Step 3

A woman fills out paperwork while working at a computer

Make your college application short list with these digital tools

There's never been more information available about colleges and universities. These digital tools can help you sort out the details to determine your short list of choices.

Step 4

A college entrepreneur looks at her notes pasted on a window.

15 tips for starting a business in college

You’ve got a great idea. Now, you need the world to know about it. These college entrepreneurs offer tips to help you get your business off the ground.

Step 5

6 tips to help you get the most out of your summer job

Take full advantage of your summer gig before school starts.

Next steps: Start your college prep

Planning for college

What HBCU schools gave me: Four grads share their stories

Historically Black colleges and universities offer value beyond the classroom. Four HBCU grads share lessons they learned in this Q&A.

Female student at desk, working on tablet

High school senior year and your college checklist

Don’t overlook these key details as you plan for your final year of high school.

Summer opportunities to get ahead academically

Top strategies to help get ahead this summer

Check out these ideas to help get ahead academically and financially while school is out.

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Paying for college

3 ways to seek emergency aid while in school

Hit by a crisis? Your college and community offer help to cover basics like food, housing, medicine, and more.

4 solutions to explore before dropping out of school

If you’re thinking about putting your education on pause or dropping out of school entirely, these ideas may help you stay in school.

A student learns how to pay off student loans by working as a barista.

How to pay off your student loans early: Guidance from two college grads

Eager to start paying off your student loans ASAP? These grads share their strategies.

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Get College Ready

Discover all the ways we may be able to help you prepare, from figuring out how to pay for college to managing your money once you’re there.

Free access to more than 7 million scholarships

Head to TFS Scholarships to apply.

Money tips, tailored to you

CollegeSTEPS strives to provide helpful, accurate, and up-to-date information. Yet, with the changing conditions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic, some CollegeSTEPS imagery, content, and situations portrayed may not reflect advised behaviors during the pandemic. Visit our College & COVID-19 resources for additional guidance.

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