FinAid | Answering Your Questions | Books About College Costs

Books About College Costs

America's Best Colleges, US News & World Report, 1996. $5.95. 287 pages. This special annual issue of US News & World Report focuses on college admissions and financial aid. It includes a 12-page chapter that covers saving for college, filling out financial aid forms, and comparing financial aid awards. To order a copy, call 1-800-836-6397 x300 or write to US News Specialty Marketing, Dept. 300M, PO Box 2284, South Burlington, VT 05407-2284.

James Cass and Max Birnbaum, Comparative Guide to American Colleges, 15th edition, Harper Collins Publishers, New York, 1993. $20.00. 896 pages. Profiles of all accredited four-year colleges in America. Includes costs, tuition, and financial aid. To order a copy, write to Harper Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, New York, NY 10022.

Mari Castrovilla and Jeanne Marie publisher = Healy (ed), Graduate School Guide, 26th edition, New Rochelle, New York, 1996. ISBN 0-910635-33-1 ($10). 156 pages. A detailed list of graduate college programs, including college cost information. To order a copy, call 1-800-433-7771 or 1-914-632-7771, fax 1-914-632-3412, write to School Guide Publications, 210 North Avenue, new Rochelle, NY 10801, or send email to info@schoolguides.com.

Chronicle Four-Year College Databook 1995-96, Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc., Moravia, New York, 1995. ISBN 1-55631-240-7 ($22.49). Order number 502CM4. 467 pages. This directory provides information about enrollment, admissions, costs, and financial aid at 2,143 four-year colleges and universities. Revised annually. To order a copy, call 1-800-622-7284 or 1-315-497-0330, fax 1-315-497-3359, or write to Chronicle Guidance Publications, 66 Aurora Street, PO Box 1190, Moravia, NY 13118-1190.

Chronicle Two-Year College Databook 1995-96, Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc., Moravia, New York, 1995. ISBN 1-55631-241-5 ($22.46). Order number 502CM2. 366 pages. This directory provides information about enrollment, admissions, costs, and financial aid at 2,408 two-year colleges. Revised annually. To order a copy, call 1-800-622-7284 or 1-315-497-0330, fax 1-315-497-3359, or write to Chronicle Guidance Publications, 66 Aurora Street, PO Box 1190, Moravia, NY 13118-1190.

Chronicle Vocational School Manual 1995-96, Chronicle Guidance Publications, Inc., Moravia, New York, 1995. ISBN 1-55631-250-4 ($22.48). Order number 502VS. 295 pages. This directory provides information about enrollment, admissions, costs, and financial aid at 3,672 vocational schools. Revised annually. To order a copy, call 1-800-622-7284 or 1-315-497-0330, fax 1-315-497-3359, or write to Chronicle Guidance Publications, 66 Aurora Street, PO Box 1190, Moravia, NY 13118-1190.

College Board, College Cost Explorer, College Board Publications, New York, 1993. MS-DOS version ($125). Provides counselors with a tool for advising students about college costs and financial aid at more than 2,700 two- and four-year colleges and universities. To order a copy, call 1-800-323-7155 or write to College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY 10101-0886. For more information, call 1-212-713-8165 or fax 1-212-713-8143.

College Board, College Costs and Financial Aid Handbook 1997, 17th edition, College Entrance Examination Board, College Scholarship Service (CSS), New York, 1996. ISBN 0-87447-544-9 ($16.95). 330 pages. Lists student expenses at more than 3,100 two- and four-year colleges and universities. The book includes an overview of financial aid, a summary federal and state aid and a PC Windows 3.1 EFC estimation program. The EFC estimator includes both the Federal Methodology and Institutional Methodology, and also includes a loan payment calculator. The book is worth the price for the software alone! Previously titled The College Cost Book 1994, ISBN 0-87447-481-7 ($16.00). To order a copy, call 1-800-323-7155 or write to College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY 10101-0886. For more information, call 1-212-713-8165 or fax 1-212-713-8143.

College Board, College Handbook: Foreign Student Supplement, College Entrance Examination Board, College Scholarship Service (CSS), New York, 1996. $16 plus $8.31 for overseas shipping. To order a copy, call 1-800-323-7155 or write to College Board Publications, Box 886, New York, NY 10101-0886. For more information, call 1-212-713-8165 or fax 1-212-713-8143.

College Costs Today, New York Life Insurance Company, New York, annual. Free. This publication provides a list of tuition, fees, room and board at most colleges and universities in the US. To get a copy, write to New York Life Insurance Company, 51 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10010.

College Planning/Search Book, American College Testing Program, Iowa City, Iowa, 1993. $10.00. Information about more than 3,000 two- and four-year colleges and universities. To order a copy, call 1-319-337-1410 or write to American College Testing Program, PO Box 168, Iowa City, IA 52243.

Heather Evans and Deidre Sullivan, The Ultimate College Shopper's Guide, Addison-Wesley, Reading, Massachusetts, 1992. $12.95. Many rankings and other comparisons of schools according to cost and financial aid packages.

Edward B. Fiske and Joseph M. Michalak, The best buys in college education, Times Books, New York, 1987. $10.95. 473 pages.

MoneyGuide: Your Best College Buys Now, Money Magazine, 1996. $4.95. 96 pages. This special annual issue of Money Magazine focuses on college admissions and financial aid. It includes 18 pages of tips about financial aid, from the best ways to invest for college to low cost loans and a financial survival guide. To order, write to Money Magazine, Best College Buys, PO Box 30626-0626, Tampa, FL 33630-0626.

Peterson's College Money Handbook, 14th edition, Peterson's Guides, Princeton, New Jersey, 1996. ISBN 1-56079-697-9 ($26.95), ISBN 1-56079-716-9 (software). 722 pages. This book provides a capsule summary of college costs and financial aid at more than 1,667 four-year colleges and universities, with a freshman year costs summary chart. It also covers college-controlled merit awards (artistic, academic, and athletic), Coop and ROTC programs, and tuition waivers. There is also an overview of financial aid, information about federal and state aid, and answers to common questions. Previous editions included a 10-page listing of the top 40 sources of private aid; that has been expanded into an entire separate book, Peterson's Scholarships, Grants, and Prizes 1997, that focuses on private scholarships. The book comes with MSDOS financial aid planning software (need analysis and loan payment calculators). Previously published as Paying Less for College. Revised annually. To order a copy, call 1-800-EDU-DATA (1-800-338-3282) x660 or 1-609-243-9111 x660 (x462 for Spanish), fax 1-609-243-9150, write to Peterson's Guides, PO Box 2123, Princeton, NJ 08543-2123, or send email to custsvc@petersons.com.

Profiles of American Colleges, 19th edition, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., New York, 1993. $18.95. 1,800 pages. Profiles of more than 1,500 schools, including costs and financial aid information. To order a copy, call 1-800-645-3476 or write to Barron's Educational Series, Inc., 250 Wireless Blvd., Hauppauge, NY 11788.

Nicholas A. Roes, America's Lowest Cost Colleges, 9th edition, NAR Publications, Barryville, New York, 1995. ISBN 0-89780-041-9 ($9.95). 184 pages. This book contains a list of low cost (tuition and fees less than $3,500) and tuition-free schools, organized by state. The list is predominantly community colleges, with a few state schools thrown in for good measure. To order a copy, write to NAR Publications, PO Box 233, Barryville, NY 12719.

John Schwartz and College Research Group of Concord Mass., Best dollar values in American colleges, 2nd edition, Prentice Hall, New York, 1990. ISBN 0-13083-494-7 ($14.95). 320 pages.