If you are a single mother or individual looking to get back to college, you should focus on how you are going to make it happen financially.  Having some kind of plan to follow is a really good idea in this respect, as it means you can look forward to making your dreams a reality.

The first essential step is to recognize that not all aid is the same.  For instance a grant is always going to be better than a loan, because most grants do not require you to pay them back at any point in the future.  If you had a choice between $2,000 you didn’t have to pay back and $2,000 that you did, which would you opt for?

So this first step is therefore all about educating yourself as to what you could get for free.  Recognize though that you might need to accept a mix of money from different sources – for example 60% from essentially free sources and 40% that needs to be repaid.

Next up you need to work out what deadlines are attached to the various loans and grants you can apply for.  Find out too when the deadline for your particular course you want to study is coming up.  Knowing all the dates means you won’t get caught out and end up missing out on a source of cash you could easily have applied for.

Once this is done and you have the information in front of you, it is time to take one of the most important steps of all.  The FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is the single most important application you can fill in, since a lot of lenders will need to know you have done so.  Trying to get a loan or grant without having filled this out is almost like trying to drive without having gotten your license first.

You should know that once you send in your FAFSA fully completed, you will get offers from more than one source.  When you are being offered money in this way it will be tempting to jump at making a decision straightaway.  But you need to consider everything carefully before you figure out which direction to go in and which offer to accept.  Don’t forget the importance of this decision – it could affect the rest of your life.

You should also read through the letters you receive from different schools more than once for this reason.  It is easy to skip over certain things in your rush to see what you have been offered.  Remember to weigh up the different offers to see which one will appeal the most.

Finally you have to be sure you have the financial aid you need to go for your chosen college course.  Remember that it isn’t just about buying books and covering basic living expenses – there could be other costs involved as well.  Always be sure you can cover everything, even if that involves taking on a part time job as well.