There are hundreds of thousands of students attending some type of post-secondary schooling in the United States each and ever year. However, the cost of this schooling continues to increase. Students are watching as their tuition bills jump thousands of dollars from year to year. How can individuals plan with such large jumps in tuition? It is not easy, but there are some resources available to students and parents in order to assist them in receiving the funding they need in order to attend the higher education institution of their dreams.

A college planning calculator is an important resource for students and parents who need to calculate what the costs of a student attending a school are. While many parents believe that tuition as well as room and board cover all of the students costs, it is simply not true. Many individuals who are in college soon realize that going out to eat, having to purchase groceries and finally paying for entertainment can add up quickly. A college planning calculator can help individuals to correctly calculate what resources they will need in order to be able to pay for college.

Most individuals are not able to attend college without having some type of student loans. The cost of college is rapidly rising and many individuals are not able to pay cash out of pocket in order to afford the tuition bills. A college planning calculator can include the principal plus interest on student loans, cash paid out of pocket, scholarships and other funding options that students and parents have access to. Saving for college is an intelligent idea. Most individuals do not save nearly enough to pay for their college education. There are many savings programs available, including 529 plans, uniform gift to minors accounts as well as regular savings accounts.

When individuals open a student loan, they do not pay any money up front. The loan remains in dormant state until six months after the student graduates from college. Once individuals graduate, they must begin repaying their loan after the six months regardless of whether or not they have found a job. Borrowers can apply for a deferment. However, this does not have to be granted. A student loan account can be opened through the federal government or a private lender. Government loans are either subsidized or unsubsidized. Government subsidized loans have the interest paid when students are in school, while unsubsidized accounts have interest accrue while students are in school.