College: An Investment

College isn't going to come cheap. According to the College Board, tuition,
fees, room and board during the 2004-2005 school year cost $11,354 at a
four-year public institution, and $27,516 at a four-year private university
on average. Some top-tier and Ivy League schools are charging more than
$40,000 a year.

The price tags can be very overwhelming for any average American
family. But remember that most families don't have to pay that full price.
Nearly 70% of students attending a 4-year school pay less than $8,000 a
year for tuition and fees. The rest of the money come in the form of
Financial aid: grants and loans - which you need to manage properly. You
can also look for scholarships outside the University. CollegeBoard offers a
free scholarship search tool that searches nearly 2,300 sources, offering a
total of $3 billion in free college money. If you still fall short, you might
utilize your home's equity, or take a private loan with a bank.

Planning your college finances can seem overwhelming and stressful. But,
as an investment it is one of the best with (nearly) guaranteed returns.
According to U.S. Census Bureau statistics, people with a bachelor's
degree earn more than 70% more on average than those with just a high
school diploma. In dollar terms, the student will earn more than 1 million
dollars in his lifetime because of his college degree.

For useful information, visit CollegeBoard.com and Lunch-Money.com