by Cathy Pelekais

Created on: May 07, 2008   Last Updated: September 10, 2009

We are a normal middle class family, we are far from rich, yet we wanted to offer our son the opportunity to have a college education. In today's society in order to progress in your chosen field you need at least a BA degree. The question is how to get that education without mortgaging your house and spending upwards to $20,000 per semester to some well known universities. When my son turned eleven years old, I started planning on his education and found that many of the colleges were just plain out of our reach, Yet I was determined that he would get his BA degree.

I looked into federal programs, the first and foremost one was FAFSA,http:// www.fafsa.gov, Free application for Federal Student Aid. There we where able to register my son, among the programs are Grants (Pell Grant), which does not have to be repaid, Student Loans, subsidized and unsubsidized. The forms are not hard to fill out and records can be printed and kept in a file.

We looked at other programs also for financial assistance. We joined upromise.com, we requested that our family, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and firned to utilize this program, each purchase that they made a participating companies earned us money toward his education.

There were internet sites that we also chose to utilize. We went to Fast Web.com, here we filled in the required data. we filled in a maximum of 15 activities. We went to memberships there is a long review to be reviewed, there may be a relative of yours that is a member of one of these organizations. Also available catagory for sports, pick at least 10, Performing arts, encourage your child to become a member of a music program at their local high school or at their local religous affiliation. Do not forget to go to your local religious organization, many of the churches offer finacial help to their members.

If your child has a disability, you have my condolences, however there are a multitude of organizations that directly contribute to that child. Look at you current or former employers, many of the employers have programs that offer financial assistance to you or your child. Companies such as Target, Chic-Fil-A, KFC, the Federal Government, Walmart and many more offer tuition assistance.

If you had attended a college yourself, fraternities and soroties offer scholarships and financial aid to their former members.

Contact you local Congressionmen and Senators, apply early, every Senator and Congressman offer financial aid to students in need, these do not have to be paid back.

Google under your states name, i.e. maryland scholarships, there are literally thousands of scholarships available all it takes is a little bit of work on your part and that of your child to fund his or her education.

If you child is still in Senior High School many offer a chance for some of their junior or seniors to attend a Community College while still in Senior High, many of the Community colleges will offer a deeply discounted fee for High School students to attend college.
Look to Community Colleges to get their AA degree, most of these local colleges offer many of the priliminary courses that are necessary for a BA degree and the cost is less expensive.
Look at on line Colleges, such as Thomas Edison State College they offer on line courses at a discounted price.

Have your sites set to provide your child with a quality education, do your research and start as early as possible to beat the competition.
Academic Honors, encourage your child todo the best that they can possibly do in school, the higher their GPA the better chance they have of receiving a scholarship.

Learn more about this author, Cathy Pelekais.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.