If you are considering going to college, it is likely that you have a lot of questions. You are not alone. Here are the top 10 most Googled questions about college, along with their answers.
1. Is College Worth It?
In today’s economy, the benefits of college might seem unclear, which makes some ask, "Is college worth it?" However, a bachelor’s degree or graduate is required or preferred for a significant proportion of jobs that pay a living wage and higher. In addition, unemployment rates drop significantly for those with a college degree.
Here’s the thing, the answer to this question is personal. Not ever career requires a college degree, and with the cost of college it may not be worth it for you. There may be other types of higher education programs to help prepare you for your career, like technical certifications, licensure, or training.
And to add another level of depth to this question (sorry, there really isn’t a simple answer to this questions!), you want to evaluate the costs of multiple college options and compare it to your future earnings, especially if you need to borrow money to earn your degree. Is it work it to rack up $100,000 in student loan debt when you only expect to earn $40,000 per year in your chosen career field? It may seem worth it to earn your degree, but if you need to borrow money you want to make sure you only borrow a reasonable amount you can repay.
2. How Do I Pay for College?
Attending college is becoming increasingly expensive, leaving many to wonder how they will pay for it. Financial assistance is available in the form of scholarships and grants, which do not have to be repaid, and loans, which do. Edvisors provides resources for how to obtain financial aid, including information on filing the FAFSA® and private student loan lenders.
Now let’s chat about scholarships. Scholarships are always a great way to come up with funds to help you pay for college. Now there are many scholarship providers out there, and chances are you are competing with others to win those scholarship funds. But it is worth it. We recommend you set up a weekly goal of how many scholarships you will apply to each week. You can also check out our unique ScholarshipPointsSM program which offers sweepstakes based scholarships.
Apply for a Sallie Mae Private Student Loan
- Variable Rates: 6.37% APR - 16.70% APR. Fixed Rates: 4.50% APR - 15.49% APR. Lowest rates shown include 0.25% interest rate discount with auto debit payments.1
- Apply online in minutes and receive an instant credit result2
- Multiple repayment options from in-school payments to deferred.1 No origination fee or prepayment penalty3
- Last year, students were 3x more likely to be approved with a cosigner4 and it may help you get a better rate.
- Borrow up to 100% of school-certified expenses, whether you're online or on campus5
Borrow Responsibly
We encourage students and families to start with savings, grants, scholarships, and federal student loans to pay for college. Students and families should evaluate all anticipated monthly loan payments, and how much the student expects to earn in the future, before considering a private student loan.
Loans for Undergraduate & Career Training Students are not intended for graduate students and are subject to credit approval, identity verification, signed loan documents, and school certification. Student must attend a participating school. Student or cosigner must meet the age of majority in their state of residence. Students who are not U.S. citizens or U.S. permanent residents must reside in the U.S., attend school in the U.S., apply with a creditworthy cosigner (who must be a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident), and provide an unexpired government-issued photo ID. Requested loan amount must be at least $1,000.
1Advertised APRs for undergraduate students assume a $10,000 loan to a student who attends school for 4 years and has no prior Sallie Mae-serviced loans. Interest rates for variable rate loans may increase or decrease over the life of the loan based on changes to the 30-day Average Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent. Advertised variable rates are the starting range of rates and may vary outside of that range over the life of the loan. Interest is charged starting when funds are sent to the school. With the Fixed and Deferred Repayment Options, the interest rate is higher than with the Interest Repayment Option and Unpaid Interest is added to the loan’s Current Principal at the end of the grace/separation period. To receive a 0.25 percentage point interest rate discount, the borrower or cosigner must enroll in auto debit through Sallie Mae. The discount applies only during active repayment for as long as the Current Amount Due or Designated Amount is successfully withdrawn from the authorized bank account each month. It may be suspended during forbearance or deferment.
2In 2022, instant credit decisions were provided to 97.8% of applicants. Other applications typically received credit decisions in 3 to 5 business days.
3Although we do not charge a penalty or fee if you prepay your loan, any prepayment will be applied as outlined in your promissory note-first to Unpaid Fees and costs, then to Unpaid Interest, and then to Current Principal.
4Based on the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan with a cosigner compared to the percentage of borrowers who were approved for an undergraduate loan without a cosigner from October 1, 2021 through September 30, 2022.5 For applications submitted directly to Sallie Mae, loan amount cannot exceed the cost of attendance less financial aid received, as certified by the school. Applications submitted to Sallie Mae through a partner website may be subjected to a lower maximum loan request amount. Miscellaneous personal expenses (such as a laptop) may be included in the cost of attendance for students enrolled at least half-time.
6 Examples of typical costs for a $10,000 Smart Option Loan with the most common fixed rate, fixed repayment option, 6-month separation period, and two disbursements: For a borrower with no prior loans and a 4-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.28% fixed APR, 51 payments of $25.00, 119 payments of $182.67 and one payment of $121.71, for a Total Loan Cost of $23,134.44. For a borrower with $20,000 in prior loans and a 2-year in-school period, it works out to a 10.78% fixed APR, 27 payments of $25.00, 179 payments of $132.53 and one payment of $40.35 for a total loan cost of $24,438.22. Loans that are subject to a $50 minimum principal and interest payment may receive a loan term that is less than 10 years.
Information advertised valid as of 08/25/2023.
SALLIE MAE RESERVES THE RIGHT TO MODIFY OR DISCONTINUE PRODUCTS, SERVICES, AND BENEFITS AT ANY TIME WITHOUT NOTICE. CHECK SALLIEMAE.COM FOR THE MOST UP-TO-DATE PRODUCT INFORMATION.
Smart Option Student Loans® are made by Sallie Mae Bank. Sallie Mae, the Sallie Mae logo, and other Sallie Mae names and logos are service marks or registered service marks of Sallie Mae Bank. All other names and logos used are the trademarks or service marks of their respective owners.
Edvisors is not the creditor for these loans and is compensated by Sallie Mae for the referral of Sallie Mae loan customers.
© 2023 Sallie Mae Bank. All rights reserved. SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries, including Sallie Mae Bank are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.
Apply for a College Ave Private Student Loan
- Competitive fixed and variable APRs starting at 4.49%1
- Multiple repayment options including: full principal and interest, interest-only, deferred, and flat payment
- Flexible payment terms ranging from 5, 8, 10, and 15 years2
- Coverage up to 100% of your school-certified cost of attendance ($1,000 minimum)3
- No origination, application and processing fees, no fees for early repayment
- Apply online in 3 minutes and get an instant credit decision
- Applying with a cosigner can increase your chances of getting approved and could result in a lower interest rate
College Ave Student Loans products are made available through Firstrust Bank, member FDIC, First Citizens Community Bank, member FDIC, or M.Y. Safra Bank, FSB, member FDIC.. All loans are subject to individual approval and adherence to underwriting guidelines. Program restrictions, other terms, and conditions apply.
1Rates shown are for the College Ave Undergraduate Loan product and include autopay discount. The 0.25% auto-pay interest rate reduction applies as long as a valid bank account is designated for required monthly payments. If a payment is returned, you will lose this benefit. Variable rates may increase after consummation.
2This informational repayment example uses typical loan terms for a freshman borrower who selects the Deferred Repayment Option with a 10-year repayment term, has a $10,000 loan that is disbursed in one disbursement and a 8.35% fixed Annual Percentage Rate (“APR”): 120 monthly payments of $179.18 while in the repayment period, for a total amount of payments of $21,501.54. Loans will never have a full principal and interest monthly payment of less than $50. Your actual rates and repayment terms may vary.
3As certified by your school and less any other financial aid you might receive. Minimum $1,000.
Information advertised valid as of 12/01/2023. Variable interest rates may increase after consummation. Approved interest rate will depend on the creditworthiness of the applicant(s), lowest advertised rates only available to the most creditworthy applicants and require selection of full principal and interest payments with the shortest available loan term.
3. Do I Have to Take Out Loans to Pay for College?
No. You may be able to cover your college expenses with earnings, savings, grants and scholarships. But while it is possible to attend college without taking out student loans, many find that loans are necessary. But remember what we said earlier, if you need to borrow money be smart and only borrow an amount you can handle to repay. But look for other options first, like scholarships and grants, anything you can do to reduce the amount of that debt will benefit you significantly in the long run.
4. What is the Difference Between Subsidized and Unsubsidized Loans?
The federal student loan Direct Stafford loan program has two types of loans: subsidized* and unsubsidized*. The key distinction between these loans, subsidized loans are need-based, and unsubsidized are not need-based.
A subsidized loan, the government will cover your accruing interest on the loan while you are in school, during your grace period, and other periods of authorized deferment. However, not everyone will qualify for a Direct Subsidized loan because your financial aid office will need to determine you have financial need to attend their institution.
Unsubsidized loans are not need-based and the accrued interest will be your responsibility as soon as loan is disbursed.
*We are only discussing the subsidized and unsubsidized loans offered under the federal student loan program. There could be other subsidized and unsubsidized loans offered to you which could have other terms and conditions.
5. Where Should I Go to College?
Cost can be a significant factor when deciding which college to attend. Financial factors aside, look for schools that offer academic and extra-curricular programs that interest you, in locations you find appealing. Use Edvisors' School Snapshot Tool to help you create your college list.
6. What Should I Major In?
After making the decision to go to college, you might ask "What should I major in?" Understanding the salary potential for the majors that interest you is important. However, if you choose a major solely based on earning potential, without consideration of your interests, the likelihood that you will not finish your college education increases.
If you’re not sure before you get started, that’s okay. Many school’s offer an option to enroll undecided, or will give you options to switch your major. Some students even choose to double major, add a minor, or a concentration. Of course you don’t want to waste time or money, but you can probably make changes if you absolutely need to (this may be the advice of someone who changed their major three times…).
7. Should I Get Involved in Extracurricular Activities in College?
It is well understood that extracurricular activities in high school give you an edge when applying for college. The same is often true once you are attending university. Extracurricular activities can help when applying to graduate schools or jobs, though this does not take precedence over strong academic performance.
There is more to the added line in your resume, these activities can also introduce you to more people which can expand your network. Increase your network can also help you with job opportunities later.
One thing you should know about extracurricular activities, some activities may come with additional costs. I joined the orchestra and had to either sell a certain amount of tickets to our concerts, or pay dues.
8. Is it Better to Go to a Small College or Large University?
Both small colleges and large universities have their benefits, and it really depends on individual preferences. Smaller schools often provide more individualized attention to students, while large universities offer greater diversity in people and activities.
This is another answer which relies on personal preference and its best that you choose an environment that works for your personality.
9. What Is Student Housing Like?
The cost and features of campus housing facilities varies widely. In most cases, you will be paired with a roommate. Campus dorms frequently have a cafeteria on the premises, as well as common areas. The costs of on-campus housing will likely be dependent on the location of your school.
Room and board is calculated into the cost of attendance, and many schools will create different a different cost of attendance based on your living situation— on-campus, off-campus, and living with family. Although the school will build in a cost, your actual costs can be significantly higher.
You may be wondering if there’s a way to reduce your cost. Well, if you’re living on-campus your school may have more than one option for housing—single, double, or triple-occupancy rooms. Although your living situation may not be ideal if you need to share a room with another person, it may be more cost effective. Another option would be to see if there are cost-effective options off-campus.
10. Should I Join a Sorority or Fraternity?
Many college students find numerous benefits to participating in Greek life. On larger campuses, they can make it easier to meet people and get involved in non-academic activities. These organizations also frequently set academic and service standards. The decision to join, however, is an individual choice as Greek life isn’t for everyone. Greek life organizations associated with your campus will have a “Rush Week” at the start of the school year. This is a time to get to know the different organizations on campus and your chance to ask questions!
Edvisors offers prospecitve students and college attendees access to a wealth of financial resources and information for college. The answers to your questions are just a click away!