You should evaluate these issues as you explore your financial options, regardless of where you plan to attend school. Answering these questions should give you the information you'll need to make well-informed choices about how to finance your education and to make the most of your educational investment. The financial aid staff at the schools you're considering attending probably are your most important resource to use in answering these questions. You also can consult publications from funding groups, such as federal and state governments, lenders, scholarship-granting organizations, and financial aid guidebooks that are available from your local bookstore. Another useful and timely source of answers to these questions is the Internet.
Many schools have their own Web sites, which often include information about financial aid.
Contact the schools you're considering attending to see if they have a Web site. The Access Group provides an online school search with links to those schools approved for Access Group loans with Web sites. Many lenders and other funding organizations also have Web sites. Finally, there are several Web sites that have been established by government agencies and other organizations to assist students with the financing of their education.