Nothing is certain but death, taxes...and student loan payments? Ben Franklin didn't live long enough to see student loan debt rise to record levels ($19,200 on average for graduating seniors), but his adage may as well include student loans. You can pay them down over ten, twenty, thirty--or more--years, but is there a way to reduce or eliminate them?

Yes. But you may not like all the answers. Read on for more information.

Download Five Ways to Get Reduce or Eliminate Student Loan Debt

Diana Huss Green, Founder of Parents' Choice, called upon a group of longtime Parents' Choice friends-critics, teachers, librarians, moms and dads for help giving families some "time out" from the world. Her criteria for the group's suggested list of Read Aloud Together Comfort Books follow:

Download Booklist: Finding Comfort in a Book

After facing the monumental task of visiting college campus after college campus, prodding your soon-to-be college student to write those essays and meet those deadlines, filling out applications, pulling mountains of financial data together, completing FAFSA and Profile questionnaires, and overcoming the initial shock of your Expected Family Contribution, you wait. And you wait. And you wait some more. Until, finally, college award letters arrive in your mailbox.

Download 3 Mistakes Guaranteed to Increase Your College Costs

A two- or four-year college degree is becoming more and more important for unlocking the doors to economic and educational opportunity in America today.


Download Getting Ready for College Early: Steps 1, 2, 3

College students are confronted with two kinds or types of memory work. The first and more common is general remembering or remembering the idea without using the exact words of the book or professor. General memory is called for in all subjects; however, the arts, social sciences and literature probably make the greatest use of this particular kind of remembering.

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Don’t let your freshman year pass by without seeing a counselor. It may be a dreaded activity to you to schedule an appointment and sit down to discuss your future, but you’ll be glad you did.

Download Discuss the next four years with your High School counselor

Many college application forms, including the Common Application, require one essay or personal statement. Some require more. The article discusess how to approach the essay as an opportunity for self-understanding, not just as an unwelcome assignment. Although colleges differ in how much emphasis they place on the essay, it can always make a difference. Its importance may also vary for different students because of the strength of their credentials. At most schools where your grades and scores are at the top of that college’s pool, a so-so essay won’t be too damaging, but at a highly selective or super-selective school, it always matters, since hardly anyone is admitted by grades and tests alone.

Download Collge Admission: Writing an Effective Personal Essay

Let's face the facts, going to college is expensive. If you're looking for a little financial help, your best bet would be to apply for a grant (money that is given to you based on your need and doesn't have to be paid back). To apply for financial assistance from the Federal Government, fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

Download Student loans: The Federal Perkins Loan

Whenever considering undergraduate student loans, we see that many people are not aware of different available options. They are drawn in by the fact that they need money, but fail to spend time to find the best options. Let’s briefly talk about what you need to consider whenever thinking about undergraduate student loans.

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