Having narrowed your list of institutions at which you would like to get your undergraduate degree, it is important to consider the financial impact upon you and your family. Costs to consider include tuition, room and board, books and supplies, transportation, and other general living expenses. However, there are many resources available to help you fund higher education such as:

• community and institution scholarships;
• current income;
• federal and local loans;
• institution, federal, and state grants;
• internships;
• personal savings; and
• work study.

After you have researched and secured funding for your higher education pursuits, make sure that you compare the different financial aid packages offered to you by competing institutions of which you applied. You may find that the amount of aid offered by different institutions may appear equal but be quite different when you look at the payback.