- Federal Student Aid issued $83 billion in aid in 2007 plus another $32 billion in consolidation loans. Ten million students in 6,200 postsecondary institutions received these loans.

- Nearly 50 percent of all undergraduates or their parents had their taxes reduced by an average of $600 by claiming education tax benefits under the Hope and/or Lifetime Learning tax credits.

- The value of a postsecondary education as a credential for future employment and earnings is expected to rise. About 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the new, knowledge-driven market economy require some sort of postsecondary education.

- There are three types of federal student aid: Grants, Work-Study programs and Loans.

- Financial aid provided by the office of Federal Student Aid is the largest source of postsecondary financial aid in the nation, making up about 70 percent (in dollar value) of all aid granted nationwide.

- 71 percent of all FAFSA forms that are submitted are not completed correctly.

- There are many "private scholarship search services" that promise to find you private scholarship funds. In most cases these types of services may not be worth your money. Lists of private scholarships can be found at www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov.

- The University Way is not a scholarship search service. Our goal is not to give you lists of scholarship opportunities, but to actually help you design your financial situation so that you maximize eligibility for Federal Financial Aid from the government and various colleges and universities. Similar to working with an accountant in order to save money on taxes, The University Way can help you save money on college expenses through an advisory-type relationship.