While looking up the Cost of Attendance at any given school, you will find it made up of direct costs (tuition, books, fees) and indirect costs (housing, food, transportation). It is spelled out pretty simple, but sometimes life isn’t that simple, and the ability to pay for an education could be challenging. We recommend that you complete your FAFSA, apply for scholarships, and talk to your financial aid office to find as many options as you can. Additionally, there may be some local resourc...

We can all agree that college is not cheap. Figuring out a clear plan for you to achieve the goal of finishing takes a great deal of time, energy, and finances. Choosing how to invest your money is something to seriously think about, especially when life happens. Did you know that more than half of people who start a college or training program do not finish? If you fall into that category, or know someone who does, we encourage you to try again. Here’s why:

Adapting to college life can be challenging. To make the best of your experience rely on the “go-to” people who can be a valuable resource to you. There will be a number of people you will meet throughout your college life but a few key people to keep in mind as you start your journey include the following:

You completed the FAFSA, you received the Student Aid Report (SAR), now what? Many students aren’t aware but one out of three students will be selected for verification, and if you are chosen don’t worry, its routine.  Verification is to ensure that the information is accurate, because people are human and mistakes can happen.  Simply putting down the wrong birthday, social security number, or putting tax information in the wrong box can make it difficult for financial aid offices to give you ...

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, I had seen more and more advertising about online classes and education. However, moving forward, does an online education fit your learning style? Is it the best option for you? I am sure some of you have figured out that there is more to it than staying in our pajamas all day (or any other stereotype people can think of). Let’s look at some quick pros and cons to online education:

Paying for college can turn out to be a scavenger hunt for funds, but when it comes to achieving your goals, nothing should stop you, not even the net cost. Financial resources for college or career training are in place to help you effectively pay for your postsecondary education. Here are a few helpful tips to get you started on your own financial resource scavenger hunt:

Have you read about registered apprenticeship programs and thought it could be the right education/career pathway for you, but aren’t sure if you have enough skills to be successful in it? Have you wondered if an occupation you’ve set your sights on and want to pursue as a registered apprentice will be the right fit for you? If you’ve answered yes, the solution to these dilemmas/challenges may be a pre-apprenticeship program, and here are the reasons why.

Being the first to do anything can be exciting and nerve-wracking at the same time. Well, that’s how I felt my senior year in high school, especially since I was a first generation college student .

In the news, you will sometimes hear about the top paying jobs in Alaska. At others times, you might find an article that talks about the fastest growing Alaska industry or occupation. However, you rarely see these two topics linked together when it comes to occupations.

There is an app on my phone that tells me exactly how long I have until my student loans are paid off. It is a basic countdown app that I set up after using this online calculator to find out just how long I will be paying off those loans. Here’s a calculator for federal loans.