Paying Your Way Through College

Gr 10 Up—Although teens accustomed to box office blockbusters will find little in the way of sensory overload here, this program is chock full of useful material for high school students trying to discover how to pay their college tuition. Presented in a jaunty bullet-point format via cute (but not too cute) cartoonish crayon drawn blackboards to prompt scrupulous note-taking, this crash course on the intricacies of financial aid transforms a daunting process into a "to do" list that's actually doable. The knowledgeable talking heads, comprised of admissions counselors, campus officials, and college students who've "been there, done that," lend a human face to the confusing realm of scholarships, loans, grants, and work-study programs. This cheerleader approach, if a bit hokey, proves surprisingly helpful as it generates the requisite motivational push during this time of soaring tuition costs and monetary shortfalls. There's also a "High School Road Map to Financial Aid" that explains what students need to do and when to do it beginning in their junior year of high school. However, with several comments along the lines of "the cost of a college should never deter you," it makes the process seem too easy. Quibbles aside, this is an extremely valuable resource for high school students.—Anna Taylor, Sun Prairie Public Library, WI