1.800.2COLLEGE® Official Site
Welcome to the official site for 1.800.2COLLEGE, your resource for college loans and financial aid information!
Students and parents are often surprised about how much there is to learn about paying for college and understanding college loans. The first step is to make sure you understand the financial aid basics, like college scholarships and grants and the different types of college loans that may be available to you.
Every year, you’ll need to fill out the FAFSA in order to qualify for financial aid from the federal government and your school. Every spring, your school will send you an award letter listing your financial aid, including scholarships from your school and government grants and student loans. It’s also a good idea to maintain a continuous scholarship search on your own and continue to find and submit college scholarship applications whenever you have extra time.
Once you have exhausted free money, you’ll want to look into federal student loans, like the Stafford Loan. For specific information on all federal student loan types, see our Student Loan Guide.
When you have exhausted all of your college financial aid, like scholarships, grants and federal loans, you may need to consider using private student loans. Private college loans are credit-based loans made in a student’s name that help to pay for college expenses like tuition, books, lab fees, a computer, food, travel and more. Generally, a private loan co-signer will be needed to qualify for the loan, like a parent, relative or family friend.
The first step in the private loan process is to determine how much you need in private student loans. You can use our college loan calculator to help you figure out how much money you need to borrow. Next, you’ll probably need to find a co-signer to help you get approved.
If you are a private student loan co-signer looking for more information before you borrow, we encourage you to read more on what it means to become a co-signer, or call one of our representatives at 1.800.2COLLEGE to learn more.
Money Saving Tips from 1.800.2COLLEGE
With over a decade in the business, we’ve compiled quite a bit of information on how to save money on college and your student loans! Here are some of our favorite spots for creative ways to pay for college, save money and learn about student loans: