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Learning to Read
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After High School
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Paying for College
College can cost a lot of money. Find out how you and your child can pay for college. Read these pages for information on financial aid.
How much does college cost?
Before your child decides where she wants to go, find out how much that college will cost.
Tuition is how much it costs for your child to attend college for one year. Most colleges have two semesters, fall and spring. Your child may be able to take classes during the summer and winter break, too.
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Tuition — How Much the Average College Tuition Costs (Per Year)
2-Year Community College - $2,000
4-Year Public College - $4,000
4-Year Private College - $20,000
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But college costs more than just the tuition. Add these costs to the tuition:
- Books and school supplies.
Books can cost as much as $100 each. Your child may also need to buy a calculator
and special supplies.
- Housing. Your child will need a place to stay if your child is not living with you. Your child can live on campus in a dorm, or off campus.
- Transportation. This is getting to and from the campus, and getting around town.
- Food and clothing. This includes a meal plan or groceries, and laundry.
- Other costs that come up.
You can get help
Money for your child's college comes mainly from you, your child, and your family. But here's where you can get help:
- Vocational rehabilitation. If your child qualifies for vocational rehabilitation services, the VR office may help pay for your child's tuition at a college or vocational school. To sign up, contact your local VR office. Once you apply for financial aid, the college financial aid officer puts an aid package together. Then they send the aid package to the office of vocational rehabilitation (OVR). OVR sees if they can help pay for anything that isn't covered by the aid package. OVR may pay for help with tuition, room and board, transportation and commuting, books and supplies, telecommunications devices and aids, and other services that can help your child get a job.
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI).
Your child may be able to get money from the government to go to college if your
child has a disability.
- Financial aid. Financial aid is how much money your child can get from the college she is going to and from private scholarships. The amount of money your child can get for college depends on how much your child's college costs each year and how much money your child has to pay for college. Subtract how much money your child has to pay for college from how much the college costs. What's left is called financial need. How much money your child gets or borrows is called financial aid. Here are some types of financial aid your child may get:
- Scholarships are award money that your child doesn't have to pay back. There are thousands of scholarships your child might be able to get. You need to do research to find them. Or talk to your child's guidance counselor at school. Check out the scholarships that different colleges give out and find out what your child would have to do to get one. Find scholarships for deaf and hard of hearing students here.
- Grants are also money your child doesn't have to pay back. The U.S. and state governments give grants to help children go to college. Some colleges also give grants. Talk to your child's college financial aid officer to find out more.
- Work-study is a program where your child can work at a part-time job to earn money. The government will pay your child to work during college.
- Loans are borrowed money that your child has to pay back. Loans may be given by the
college, the government, or banks.
How to get help
To get help in paying for college, fill out a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). The FAFSA is used to get financial aid. To fill out the FAFSA, you will need:
- Your tax form from last year, because the FAFSA will ask you for information from certain lines on your tax form.
- Your records of money that wasn't taxed, like Social Security
- Your current bank statements
- Your records of stocks, bonds and other investments
There is a lot of information to give, but there are many places to help you
fill out the form. Remember - filling out the form is the only way you can
get help from the government to pay for college!
Here's how you can get the FAFSA form:
When to fill out the FAFSA
- Finish your tax return first. Otherwise, you will have to guess at how much tax you will pay that year.
- Fill out the FAFSA as early as you can. The earlier you send it in, the better chance you have of getting more help.
Tips for filling out the FAFSA
- Check that all your information is right:
- Social Security numbers
- Dates of birth
- School codes for all the colleges your child is applying to.
- Sign the form.
- Write clearly.
- Don't leave anything blank. Use "0" instead.
- If you have a son who is 18 to 25, have him sign up for Selective Service. Children who are deaf need to sign up for selective service even though they won't be drafted.
After you fill out the FAFSA
- You get the Student Aid Report (SAR). This sums up what you filled in on the FAFSA. The college your child is applying to also gets the FAFSA information.
- The financial aid office at the college will let your child know how much help your child can get, and what kind. This is called a financial aid package.
- Make sure your child fills out and sends the information back to the college.
And that's it! But don't forget - you have to fill out a FAFSA every year your child is in college to get help.
Learn more about getting help
Next: Living at College
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