After searching for the right college, taking all the right standardized tests, making sure each application is as close to perfection as possible and anxiously waiting for your acceptance letter, there is yet another factor in finally reaching the college of your dreams: where is the money for tuition going to come from?

According to Hoover guidance counselor Mrs. Margie Blake, college tuition has increased the past few years and will continue to rise.

“It’s a concern for all of our students and their parents,” she said.

Junior Keith Schilistra said he thinks it is something that’s important to consider.

“It’s definitely a deciding factor for what people do and where they look for colleges,” he said.

Some students, such as senior Lauren Nunez, base part of their college search on the tuition of the schools.

“I’m not really applying to any of colleges that have a ridiculously high tuition because I know I won’t be able to pay for that,” she said.

Junior Mike Kohler also said college tuition plays a role in which schools he plans to apply to.

“I had planned to apply to a few out-of-state schools but now that I’ve seen the out-of-state tuition go up, I plan on only applying to in-state schools,” he said.

However, other students have a different view.

“I’m not going to put a school out because of how much it costs,” senior Kelsey McClure said.

Senior Pete Volpe said he and his parents feel the same.

“They don’t want to stop me from going where I want to go,” he said. “They told me to apply to wherever I was going to be happy, and that we’d figure out tuition problems if they arise.”

Although many students rely on their parents to pay for at least some of the college tuition, some students still need to find other ways to get money for college.

Nunez said she plans to use a variety of sources to pay for college tuition.

“[My parents] are willing to pay for a lot of it, but they encourage me to earn a scholarship and to take out loans as well,” she said.

Kohler said he would prefer that his parents didn’t pay for his college tuition.

“I feel like I should pay for everything,” he said. “I guess it’s kind of a pride thing. I don’t like to owe people anything and I would feel like I would owe my parents that money back.”

Blake said the two main sources of money available for students are merit aid and aid based on financial need.

“Merit aid means you have something colleges want,” she said. “You’re a good student or you can hit a baseball far or play the viola well. Colleges themselves are the best source of money.”

Volpe said he plans to get money through merit aid.

“I hope to be offered money from the schools and I’ll also apply for as many big and little scholarships as possible,” he said. “I know that all of the little scholarships can add up.”

McClure agreed, as she’s planning to apply for many types of scholarships.

“Some of the schools I’m applying to have certain academic scholarships but I’m also just randomly searching for different ones,” she said. “I have this book that has a scholarship for someone who can make the best duck call, so I’ll just see what comes along.”

Ms. Gail Pukys, the assistant director of financial aid at Kent State Stark, said there are many sources for merit aid that can help with the cost of a college education.

“You can get scholarships for almost anything,” she said. “There are scholarships out there for left-handed people. We laugh at [the scholarships], but they’re out there.”

Pukys also said students should look for scholarships based on the field of study they plan to go into, such as funds offered by a hospital for medical students.

Blake said the guidance office is another good place for students to look for different scholarships. An updated list of grants can be found on Prep HQ through the guidance website.

McClure said she’s used the guidance website in her search.

“I get certain e-mails about new scholarships,” she said. “I went through guidance and they have this amazing website that lists [tons] of scholarships that you can pick through and decide which you want to [apply for].”

Blake said students can also receive merit aid if they do well on their standardized tests.

“It’s worthwhile to spend $40 to retake the ACT or SAT if it’s going to generate thousands of dollars,” she said.

Pukys said she advises students to remember that the process of applying for scholarships can take a long time, but to not let that keep you from applying.

“You may apply and get rejected, but don’t let that discourage you,” she said. “If you keep looking and applying, there’s a scholarship out there for you.”

According to Pukys, students in their junior year of high school should start looking into what requirements need to be met to earn scholarships.

“They need to know what’s out there to see what they need to do to get these scholarships,” she said.

Although Volpe plans to get scholarship money from various schools and organizations, he also plans to take out loans in order to pay the price of his college education.

“I’m not really comfortable with having too many debts when I leave college, but I know it will probably be necessary and I can understand the need for them,” he said.

Schilistra said he also plans to take out loans.

“They’re obviously not as good as scholarships, but it’s a way to pay for college,” he said.

According to Pukys, of the approximately 33,000 students at all of Kent’s campuses combined, 80 percent of students receive some type of financial aid. This includes student loans.

A press release by the College Board said that during the2006-2007 school year, $97.1 billion was given in financial aid.

However, Kohler said he wants to avoid taking out loans.

“I know in the long run, after college, it’s hard to start your life and pay off loans when you need money for other things,” he said.

Both Blake and Pukys said they stress the importance of filling out forms for financial aid early. The FAFSA form can be done any time after Jan. 1 and should be submitted as soon as possible.

Some Hoover students also work in order to save money for college.

“I got a job this year so I will be able to help out whatever isn’t paid by scholarships,” McClure said.

Pukys said working is a good way for students to save money for college.

“We recommend that students set aside a little bit of money each pay check,” she said.

Pukys also said it’s good to have some money saved for the additional costs students may have in college. She recommends setting up a $529 savings plan with a parent.

Besides finding the money to finance a college education, students can also cut costs by making sure they’re on track to graduate from the university in four years.

“It used to be [students] would go to college, take four years, and they’re done,” Pukys said. “Now it takes five to six years.”

According to Pukys, this is due to students changing their majors or majoring in fields that require students to attend for a longer period of time.

“As a parent and educator, we like students in and out in four years,” Blake said. “The longer they take, the more expensive it is. It’s better to get in and out fast. It’s cheaper.”

Blake said students should be sure to take the right classes and plan ahead for college so as not to extend the number of years they must attend.

“It can be accomplished if planned well,” she said.

Pukys said if students know what they’re interested in, they’re more likely to graduate in four years.

“We like to say try to figure out what you’d like to do, but it’s very difficult for the student,” she said. “We have them [start off taking] the very basic classes that are required no matter what major they want to go into.”

No matter how a student plans to pay for or cut the cost of their college education, Pukys said students need to make sure they figure it out in a timely fashion.

“Students need to be finding ways to pay now,” she said.