With college tuition and fees at an all time high, and continuing to rise dramatically each year, 1001 Ways to Pay for College serves as a very useful reference for students, parents, and school counselors.  The authors, Gen and Kelly Tanabe, have written numerous guidebooks on funding college, including books on scholorships and how to write scholarship essays.  The fifth edition of 1001 Ways to Pay for College has been updated to include new options and changes in the tax codes.

There are 22 chapters that cover undergraduate, part-time, adults returning to college, military, and graduate school options. There are chapters on financial aid, scholarships, tuition savings plans, tax breaks for students, grants, internships and part time jobs, loans and loan forgiveness. Other chapters provide warnings against financial aid scams, ways to live more frugally while at college, and even options for colleges that provide free tuition.

Some of the 1001 essays are brief and leave the reader wishing for more details, but other essays are lengthy and provide details, including information on various states’ tuition savings plans.

This guidebook is relatively inexpensive with used or discount copies available. It would be worth continuing to purchase future revised editions to keep as up to date as possible on changes in tax laws, student loan interest rates, government opportunities for loan forgiveness, etc.