College is expensive. CCE students pay $229 per credit and traditional students (if taking less than 12 credits) pay $615 per credit. Fortunately, there are ways to reduce the blow tuition gives your wallet. The financial aid available to traditional students differs from that available to CCE students.

For traditional students, the majority of financial aid comes from need and merit based scholarships and grants to high school students before they come to college. But it all starts with a FAFSA.

FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid. Most traditional students fill this out before arriving at college, though it students must file a new form every year.

A FAFSA qualifies students for financial aid from the federal government, but it is also needed to receive money from the state or from Guilford.

This form represents the fastest and easiest way for traditional students to receive additional college funding. Fill out your financial aid forms on time.

The deadline is May 1. According to Anthony Gurley, Guilford’s Associate Dean of Enrollement, all forms received after May 1 are automatically deducted one thousand dollars. Turn them in on time.
In fact, the aid is given on a first come, first serve basis, so fill it out as early as possible.

Though students need the FAFSA to maintain their current level of scholarship money, it rarely produces additional benefits. Students must look elsewhere to increase the amount of money available.

Rising juniors and seniors with good grades may receive letters in their campus mailboxes, notifying them that they qualified for one of Guilford’s internal awards such as the Dana scholarship.

Since these endowed scholarships often pay out to many students, by simply filling out the application, you increase the chance of winning at least a small sum.

In addition, several of the natural science departments and fine arts departments offer internal scholarships for students in those fields.

Sometimes, students need more than just a few hundred dollars for books. This is where Fastweb comes in.

Fastweb.com is a database, updated monthly, containing vast amounts of potential scholarships. After you fill out a survey, fastweb sends an email containing all the scholarships you could possibly receive.

After you receive the list, you still have to take the initiative of applying for each one. Fastweb just tells you the ones you are most likely to get.

According to Associate Dean of Enrollment Anthony Gurley, “About one out of every five students who goes through the fastweb process receives additional college funding.”

The last way for traditional students to get those college funds to stretch a little farther is the cadre program. This program takes place over the summer. Students take classes and receive a free room in exchange for work on campus.

The application process for the cadre program is changing for this upcoming summer. Information on how to apply will be released this spring.

Scholarship options for CCE students are slightly different, though they start in the same place, a FAFSA.

Filling out a FAFSA, even if you think you will not qualify, is an important step according to back2college.com, a website devoted exclusively to adult students. Part time students can also receive federal aid.

Additional financial aid for adult students is available through various organizations, institutions, and the government. Guilford helps CCE students by lowering the cost of tuition fees according to Vanessa Reese, financial aid counselor.

“We make it as easy as we can for CCE students to get started,” said Reese.

Guilford offers the Scholastic Excellence Award to incoming CCE transfer students who maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher. The scholarship is good for four semesters. If you maintain a GPA of 3.25 or higher while at Guilford, a CCE Endowment award is available for two semesters.

Applications for the CCE endowment are available in Feb. You can be pick one up at Hendricks Hall, according to Reese.

Some employers have tuition assistance programs that include refunding a portion of your tuition expenses. In most cases the amount refunded is based on your grades. They generally pay for classes directly related to your job or the employers’ area of business.

Frescinfo.com recommends “negotiating” with your employer. Ask him or her if you can trade sick days for tuition reimbursement. The website encourages adult students to ask their employer even if they don’t offer educational benefits.

There is also the Hope Scholarship. It is a tax credit worth up to $1500 based on how much you spend on education and how much you earn. The more you earn, the less you get.

Similarly, the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit is worth up to $2,000 and is also based on earnings. It can’t be used in the same year the hope Scholarship Tax Credit is used.

The Business and Professional Women’s Organization has a Career Advancement Scholarship for women over the age of 25 who demonstrate need for financial assistance. Information regarding the scholarship can be found at www.bpwusa.org. The application for the coming year will be posted on their website after Jan.1, 2005.

Both traditional and CCE students can find a host of minority scholarships on Guilford’s financial aid website. Like most of the options listed above, nothing is guaranteed, but for a little free money, it is worth a look.