Answer each question correctly to unlock the 🔑 to the next section. When you’re finished, you’ll know ways to pay for college!

If your parents put $50 into a bank savings account each month for six years to help you pay for college, how much money will you have?

Yes! $3600! Whoa - that's a lot!

Your family could save that money in a special college savings account called a 529 plan. The funds are invested in hopes of earning additional money.

Click here to learn more about the 529 plan

Saving is the first step you and your family should take to pay for college!

Click the “Next” button to learn about the four types of financial aid, which is money you’ll apply for to help you pay for college.

A scholarship is money awarded by private donors or your college that you don't repay. The criteria to earn scholarships includes:

• Good grades
• Talents (like music or athletics)
• Your family's financial situation
• Community service or volunteering

You will have many scholarship opportunities to pay for college – but you’ll have to apply to earn them! Find out about scholarships Jayden earned to help him pursue a nursing degree.

Jayden researched scholarships to help him pay for a nursing degree.

1. He applied for and received a $500 health sciences scholarship.
2. Jayden next applied for and earned the AB Scholarship, a need-based scholarship. He'll receive $2,000 each year.
3. Jayden also applied for scholarships from the American Legion, his church, and his youth soccer program-but he didn’t receive those.

Jayden, will study nursing at a two-year public college close to home where tuition (the cost for classes) is $3,000 and books/supplies are $1,500.

Jayden will need $2,000 more to attend his college.

But how can he get that extra money?

Watch the video to learn about the types of financial aid- including grants!
You’re more likely to get grants if your family shows financial need (is low-income). If you receive free or reduced price lunch at school, you will probably qualify for grants.

You've learned about two types of financial aid: scholarships and grants.

Another type of financial aid is called “work-study,” which is money you earn by working a job on campus when you’re a college student. This might be a job in the cafeteria, the library, or in a professor’s office. You must also show financial need to get a work-study job.

But you could start working now to save money for college! Look at the pictures above to identify jobs you could do now.

Did you ever think about babysitting to save for college? Or asking your neighbors if you could mow their lawn, rake their leaves, shovel their snow, or walk their dog?

There are lots of ways you can earn money in middle school. You should also think about getting a part-time job when in high school.

While scholarships, grants, and work-study will help pay for college, you may also have to borrow money. This is called a student loan, which is money you’ll have to pay back when you’re done with college. You’ll also have to pay “interest,” which is additional money you pay for borrowing money.

You should complete lots of scholarship applications for things like good grades, talents, and financial need.

Grants are funds you can receive by showing financial need. When you’re a senior, you’ll complete a financial aid application to have a chance at receiving these dollars.

When you’re in college, you might get a work-study job if you qualify. You should also work now- and when you’re in high school to earn money.

A student loan is money you borrow to help pay for college, but that’s okay if you only borrow what you need.

So, is it worth it to go to all this work to pay for college?