New Websites Reduce College Woes
Comments:
Ask any student what the most expensive part of going to college is and you can bet their top answer is going to be either tuition or textbooks. Now two new websites, Financial Aid Finder and Buy Used Textbooks, have launched to help ease these burdens.
The average college student spends about $900 a year to get the required reading materials for their courses. At the end of any given semester most students find themselves with a pile of textbooks they no longer need and are unlikely to ever crack open again. Schools usually offer a buy back event for students to unload these unwanted tomes, but in most cases students only get back about 15 to 20 percent of the original cost of the books.
Because online sales are becoming a practical way of doing business, many companies are going online to provide outlets where students can sell used textbooks. According to Buy Used Textbooks (www.buyusedtextbooks.com) most of these sites charge students an initial fee to list the books or take a percentage of the selling price for themselves. What makes Buy Used Textbooks unique is that there are no fees for students who want to post their books and if students can't find the book they need on the site, it also hosts a search engine that allows them to search the internet for the cheapest copy of the book they need.
Buy Used Textbooks is also trying to encourage students to return to the site even after their textbook transactions are completed by reaching out to teachers. A teacher module on the site allows college and university professors to post book lists and syllabuses for their courses, and even communicate with their students throughout the semester by posting grades, sending e-mails and posting web links that are relevant to the material covered in class.
Based on the Perpetual Press books "The Financial Aid Book" and "The Government Financial Aid Book" the Financial Aid Finder website (www.financialaidfinder.com) is a free resource for anyone who needs to find a way to pay for their post-secondary education. The site provides detailed information on all manner of scholarships, student loans, and state sponsored financial aid.
"College is feasible for anyone determined to attend. The money is out there, but it takes patience, time, and research to find," says Financial Aid Finder President Matt Lucas, "Financial Aid Finder shows that it's possible to supplement college loans with scholarships, a funding source that doesn't need to be paid back. Also, by employing simple cost cutting plans and budgeting techniques students can further reduce the need for loans."
One of the cost saving measures promoted by the site is taking advantage of the distance and online learning opportunities offered by colleges and universities. The site points out that online learning isn't just for older, part-time, or working students. More and more younger students are taking advantage of it because it can eliminate costs related to living on campus, commuting, and other fees.