Education Planning & Financing

Discover methods for financing your child's education

For years, you've dreamed about and saved for your child's education. Now that the time of their college enrollment is drawing nearer, the process of figuring out how to pay for it all—that is, how to close the gap between what you've saved and the actual cost of college—can be a little overwhelming. That's why we've assembled this brief overview on financing college education.

Getting started with education planning

• Choosing the right student loans
• How much should I borrow?
• Taking advantage of grants and scholarships
• What is the actual cost of attendance?
• Cost differences between public and private schools
• Understanding in-state versus out-of-state tuition costs

Paying for education with federal student aid

• What are Federal Direct Loans, and how do you get them?
• How does Federal Direct Stafford Loan repayment work?
• What are subsidized and unsubsidized loans?
• What is campus-based aid?
• Understanding a financial aid package
• What is deferment and deferred interest?

Paying for an education with a private student loan

• How does private loan repayment work?
• How can I find a preferred lender?
• Using private loans to fill the financial gap
• Advantages of co-signing a student loan

Still have questions about financing an education?

Don't worry. After all, it's a lot of information to process. If you still have questions on paying for an education, we invite you to call a student loan specialist at 1-800-708-6684, to learn about our financing options, including our Citizens Bank TruFit Student Loan®. They'll be glad to help walk you through your child's education planning process.