Sallie Mae How to Pay for College: A Practical Guide for Families

 (8 customer reviews)

As a certified financial planner I work with families who are struggling to save for college. I am always on the lookout for new resources and this book by Sallie Mae is at the top of my list. While there is too much to describe in a short review, let me just say that each chapter contains succinct, easy to understand, and top-notch advice. The book contains many examples and the explanations are written so even a non-expert can understand. The tips and anecdotes from the financial aid officers which appear on many of the pages are invaluable and give the reader a view of financial aid that we don't normally see. Sallie Mae should be commended for putting out a terrific book.

As the mother of three children high school aged children I knew that I needed help paying for college. What a relief it was to read this book! I'm no expert on financial aid but after reading Sallie Mae How to Pay for College I feel much more confident about getting through the process. In fact, as crazy as it sounds I am actually looking forward to applying for aid since I now know how much I should get!

Not only does this book explain the financial aid process better than anything else I have read but it also addresses important topics like scholarships and college savings. The scholarship chapter is a real standout in my opinion and I made it required reading for my children who will need to do their part to help pay for their educations.

Throughout the book are interviews with financial aid officers from different colleges. These really helped me to see how that college can actually help.

While we still have a lot of hard work ahead I am confident...Read more

I've been a college counselor for 15 years and each year I'm responsible for helping 200 seniors find the right college. I have witnessed many changes in admission but by far the most difficult challenge today is helping families pay for the great colleges that their children get into. What good is it to get into a college if you can't afford to go? This is why I was particularly interested in this book when one of my colleagues gave me a copy to review.

Over the years I have read hundreds of books on college planning. Of those only a very small percentage make it into my permanent collection of useful references. This book not only made it into my collection but I consider it to be the "best of the best."

Why? Because it honestly lays out the challenges of paying for college faced by most families and then systematically presents realistic solutions. The authors do not present their solutions in a dogmatic fashion but give the reader all of the options to let...Read more