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Publication Materials

The National Center for College Costs has created many publications to assist students and parents with a variety of college preparation issues. The NCCC has grouped key publications below by topic.  For more information on any of the topics below, click on the corresponding link to open a PDF version of our publication on the related topic. (Note: A PDF file viewer must be installed on your computer for viewing - click here to download Adobe Reader.)

Financial Aid & Scholarships
Federal Loans Verses Private LoansComparison between Federal Loans Verses Private Loans 9/5/2018 116 KB
Financial Aid - What is it and Where Does it Come From (Illinois)Explanation of the types of financial aid available in Illinois. 7/29/2016 240 KB
Financial Aid-What is it and Where Does it Come From (Indiana)Explanation of the types of financial aid available in Indiana. 8/30/2018 143 KB
Financial Aid-What is it and Where Does it Come From (Ohio)Explanation of the types of financial aid available in Ohio. 7/17/2017 249 KB
Graduate School Financial AidFinancial aid options that are available for graduate school. 8/30/2018 164 KB
Insights on InvestingCollege savings strategies designed to help families understand where to start. 8/30/2018 265 KB
Key Financial Aid TermsBrief explanations of commonly used key financial aid terms. 8/30/2018 144 KB
Local Scholarship OpportunitiesTips on where students can look for local scholarship opportunities. 8/30/2018 116 KB
Scholarship Search Websites (Illinois)Websites to use for free scholarship searches and more. 7/17/2017 155 KB
Scholarship Search Websites (Indiana)Websites to use for free scholarship searches and more. 8/30/2018 107 KB
Scholarship Search Websites (Ohio)Websites to use for free scholarship searches and more. 7/17/2017 154 KB
Undergraduate Loan OptionsUndergraduate loan options that can be utilized to help pay for higher education. 8/30/2018 203 KB
The College Selection Process
8 Steps to Successful College SelectionThe eight steps to finding the best college for you. 7/15/2014 57 KB
8 Steps to Successful College Selection (Spanish Version)The eight steps to finding the best college for you. 8/20/2012 73 KB
College Selection CriteriaList of the most common college selection criteria. 7/15/2014 552 KB
College Selection Criteria (Spanish Version)List of the most common college selection criteria. 8/20/2012 555 KB
College Tour TipsQuestions to ask on ANY college visit. 8/20/2012 84 KB
High School TimelineWhat do you need to do while you are in high school to get your prepared for college? Check out this timeline to help you figure it out! 9/5/2013 104 KB
Timeline - The Next Steps to a College Education (Spanish Version) 8/20/2012 240 KB
The College Admission Process
ACT and SAT OverviewSAT & ACT overview including test dates for 2016-2017 and SAT & ACT test preparation websites. 7/17/2017 72 KB
Tips for Admission, Scholarship, and Employment InterviewsTips for before, during and after an interview. 8/20/2012 74 KB
Tips to Writing a Personal Statement or Essay - College Essay Self CheckForm to use as a guide while writing and editing your first draft(s). Also contains sample essay questions found on college applications. 1/2/2012 466 KB
Tips to Writing a Personal Statement or Essay - Common Application Questions Sample essay questions found on college applications. 8/20/2012 71 KB
Tips to Writing a Personal Statement or Essay - Essay Critique SheetForm that will help other individuals critique your application essay(s). 8/20/2012 40 KB
Tips to Writing a Personal Statement or Essay - Potential Essay TopicsPotential topics that will help you find a vehicle to help others to get to know who you really are. 8/20/2012 1121 KB
Other Relevant and Related Topics
Financial Dividends of a College EducationEstimating the financial benefits of getting a college education. 4/26/2016 28 KB
Navigating Net Price Calculators_NCCC 7/26/2012 967 KB
New Universal HandoutUniversal handout to get started. 9/4/2018 163 KB