Library Resources: Money Talks: Be A Smart Borrower

Smart Borrower Commitment

Smart Borrower Commitment

Part one: What is your career goal? If you aren't sure, refer to the "Campus and District Resources" below for career counseling and career services. Clarifying your career objective will help to determine a likely entry level salary as a guide for borrowing money. It will also encourage you to take applicable classes and motivate you to complete your program.

Part two: What education level do you need to obtain your degree? (e.g. associates, bachelor's, master's)

Part three: Where do you expect to live (Be sure to use the estimated first year salary for the area where you expect to work)

Part four: Research the entry level annual salary for this occupation in the area you intend to live. You can research careers and likely earnings for your area at My Smart Borrowing.

Part five: Make the entry level, first year earnings for your job be the maximum about that you will borrow for education. (e.g. If you determine your entry level annual salary is $50,000 then keep your borrowing under $50,000

Campus and District Resources

GCC Financial Aid and Scholarships

GCC Counseling - Career Counselors can help you navigate the process of choosing your career objective and major, or help you to learn more about what you can do with a major (or decide on appropriate major for your career objective)

GCC Career Services - helps with job resources, as well as internships and they do workshops on related topics, including career interviews (speak with someone in your field of interest) and benefits of job shadowing.

Maricopa Community Colleges offer two kinds of scholarships, those funded through the District and those funded through the Maricopa Foundation, Maricopa scholarships

Need assistance applying for scholarships? Sign up for a 1 on 1 session with our scholarship coordinators to:

Walk you through the online general application process.

Share tips on how to write a successful essay.

Answer any questions you have regarding scholarships to make the application process easy and comprehensible

FATV- Get Counseling

Financial Aid TV has an educational tool called GetCounseling. You can watch connected videos on topics like “Student Loan Basics”, “Essentials of Student Loan Repayment”, and “Money Management”. In between some of the videos are short quizzes to help you remember the information. You will create an account to track your progress through the sessions.

FATV- Financial Aid Answers

Financial Aid TV has a vast library of videos on financial aid and financial literacy. You can quickly search with specific questions or search “financial literacy” to get started.

Education and Success

Mapping Your Future
Find out information on how to succeed in college
Your Education After High School
Information from consumer.gov on education after high school, including tuition, financial aid, student loans, FASFA, and more.
College Scoreboard
"Search and compare colleges: their fields of study, costs, admissions, results, and more."
Western Undergraduate Exchange
"Search among hundreds of undergraduate degrees offered at the WUE rate of 150% of resident tuition (or less) by 160+ public colleges and universities across the West."

Net Cost for Education

U.S. Department of Education: Net Price Calculator Center
Calculate net price of attending an institution in a single year after subtracting scholarships and grants.

Educational Costs and Student Debt

College Board’s Big Future Tool
"How to make sense of financial aid awards and understand the difference between gift aid, loans, and work-study jobs."
FAFSA
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form to apply for financial aid for college or graduate school.
How to get your employer to help pay down your student loans
Learn about what SLRA is and how to talk to your employer about it
Loan Simulator
"Loan Simulator helps you calculate student loan payments and choose a loan repayment option that best meets your needs and goals. You can also use it to decide whether to consolidate your student loans."
My Smart Borrowing
"A free tool for calculating an affordable future"
StudentAid.gov
Learn about choosing a school, the financial aid you can apply for, and how to apply for financial aid.
U.S. Department of Education: Net Price Calculator Center
Calculate net price of attending an institution in a single year after subtracting scholarships and grants.

3 Steps to be a smart borrower

Worried about student debt?

Featured Resources

Careering by Tamara S. Raymond
Call Number: eBook 2017
ISBN: 9781683504030
Careering offers young people a seamless step-by-step process to help teens avoid career traps. It's the information-packed guide for students, teens and young adults to explore their career future - and its an ideal size for a pocket! Topics include how to explore career options; network effectively; apply for jobs; develop interviewing skills; and conduct oneself once landing a job... Specifically, Careering is a concise and easy-to-read pocket guide that helps young people: Evaluate their interests, skills, and passions Identify jobs, internships, and volunteer positions that align with their personal gifts, Identify multiple career exploration avenues, Put together a resume and references, even if they've never had a "real" job, Learn how to network, apply for jobs and develop interviewing skills, Learn how to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities, Learn how not to use social media if they want to land a job...and do so much more.
Launch Your Career by Sean O'Keefe
Call Number: ebook 2021
ISBN: 9781523092703
This book shows how ANY student can get a job, internship or research position they want using the Career Launch Method—a detailed framework based on a key insight: the clearest path to landing a position you want is through creating relationships with professionals in the industries you desire. It's tough to find an internship or job that you really want during the best of times, and these are not the best of times...Launch Your Career features first-person stories of students from all backgrounds and programs of study who have used the Career Launch Method™ to earn jobs or internships at all types of companies, non-profits, government agencies, social enterprises, and institutions across the country and around the world.
Careers: Paths to Entrepreneurship by Allison Blake (Editor)
Call Number: HB615 .C37 2021
ISBN: 9781642657746
Designed specifically for those who want to work for themselves, this volume dives deep into the many ways that individuals can translate doing what they love into a business. There are many business sectors that are ripe for entrepreneurship, including real estate, the creative arts, manufacturing, personal care services, retail, fashion, finance and so much more. This volume also highlights some critical aspects of entrepreneurship, from writing business plans to managing finances.
Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett; Dave Evans
Call Number: HF5381 .B7785 2016
ISBN: 9781101875322
In this book, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans show us how design thinking can help us create a life that is both meaningful and fulfilling, regardless of who or where we are, what we do or have done for a living, or how young or old we are. The same design thinking responsible for amazing technology, products, and spaces can be used to design and build your career and your life, a life of fulfillment and joy, constantly creative and productive, one that always holds the possibility of surprise.
Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance by Ferguson Publishing
Call Number: HF5381 .E52 2018
ISBN: 9780816085149
Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance-now in its 17th edition-remains the most comprehensive career reference in print. This unparalleled resource has been expanded to six volumes and fully revised to contain the most accurate and current career information available. In Six Volumes and Thousands of Pages of Information! The six-volume Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance, 17th Edition is an essential resource for public, college, high school, and junior high school libraries; career centers; guidance offices; and other agencies involved with career exploration and planning.
Sort Your Career Out by Shelley Johnson; Glen James
Call Number: HF5381 .J64 2023
ISBN: 9781119899556
The best investment you can make is in yourself and your career Sort Your Career Out: And Make More Money is your go-to guide for building a career that you love. Dream jobs don't just come along: you need to make them happen. And this is the book that will show you how, from creating the ultimate career strategy to getting paid what you're really worth. (Hint: It's not just about changing the font on your resume!) With tips and guidance from two of today's top money and career experts, you'll learn how to change jobs, secure a promotion, ask for a pay rise and much, much more.
Careers for Dummies by Marty Nemko
Call Number: HF5381 .N42 2018
ISBN: 9781119482338
Feeling stuck? Find out how to work toward the career of your dreams If you're slogging through your days in a boring or unrewarding job, it may be time to make a big change. Careers For Dummies is a comprehensive career guide from a top career coach and counselor that will help you jump start your career and your life. Dive in to learn more about career opportunities, with a plethora of job descriptions and the certifications, degrees, and continuing education that can help you build the career you've always wanted. Whether you're entering the workforce for the first time or a career-oriented person who needs or wants a change, this book has valuable information that can help you achieve your career goals.
Don't Break the Bank: College Edition by Peterson's Publishing Staff
Call Number: HG179 .D66 2013
ISBN: 9780768937657
College students spend more money than ever these days, but most have very little (if any) knowledge when it comes to personal finances. The truth is that most schools don't have time to teach a Personal Finances 101 course. So what are today's students (and their parents) to do? Peterson's Don't Break the Bank comes to the rescue! It's a brand new, easy-to-comprehend guide to help students become financially savvy. Readers will find such financially relevant chapters as Saving for a Rainy Day, Making Cents Out of Banking, and Charge It-Paying with Plastic. Expert guidance on ways to make extra money, saving vs. spending, ways to budget, the ins and outs of credit and credit cards, financial aid and scholarships, and more.
The Community College Career Track by Thomas Snyder
Call Number: LB2328 .S61 2012
ISBN: 9781118271698
Get a good education without massive debt, and enter a field that's actually hiring. In coming years, millions of great jobs will be opening up in growth areas like advanced manufacturing, biotechnology, health care, information technology, and sustainable energy. These jobs can pay as well as, or much better than, the average income for four-year college graduates. They generally offer high levels of day-to-day satisfaction. And the path to all of them begins in the community colleges. In The Community College Career Track, Tom Snyder gives young people and their parents, as well as mid-life career changers, a practical, inspiring guide to taking that path and completing it successfully. The old model of a bachelor's degree leading to a good job and career has broken down for large numbers of young people, many of whom graduate college only to work in a career that doesn't require a degree. Meanwhile, millions of productive American white collar and blue-collar workers have been laid off and need retraining for second careers. This book helps you find a new way forward. Offers insights on how to save money over a lifetime through an affordable college education that provides high-paying jobs.
Secrets of a Financial Aid Pro by Jodi Okun
Call Number: LB2337.4 .O48 2016
ISBN: 9780997352702
No matter where you are in the financing pipeline, this book will be an invaluable resource. Understand what you should be doing--and when you should be doing it--to set yourself up for the best possible college financing. Learn how to find and apply for every type of financial aid, including FAFSA, grants, scholarships, and loans. Find out how to give your student the financial skills they'll need for life--it all starts in college by helping them manage expenses and money. With insight and humor, Jodi Okun takes you inside the often murky world of college financing. First as a financial aid consultant at Occidental and Pitzer colleges, and then in her own successful consulting business, College Financial Aid Advisors (CFAA), Jodi learned firsthand the struggles families endure to find financing and pay for college. In Secrets of a Financial Aid Pro, she demystifies the process and presents sensible solutions any family can use as they go through what can be a complicated and intimidating affair.
The Ultimate Scholarship Book 2021 by Tanabe; Kelly Tanabe
Call Number: LB2337.4 .P475 2021
ISBN: 9781617601545
Information on 1.5 million scholarships, grants, and prizes is easily accessible in this revised directory with more than 300 new listings that feature awards indexed by career goal, major, academics, public service, talent, athletics, religion, ethnicity, and more. Each entry contains all the necessary information for students and parents to complete the application process, including eligibility requirements, how to obtain an application, how to get more information about each award, sponsor website listings, award amounts, and key deadlines. With scholarships for high school, college, graduate, and adult students, this guide also includes tips on how to conduct the most effective search, how to write a winning application, and how to avoid scams.
1001 ways to pay for college: strategies to maximize college savings, financial aid, scholarships, and grants by Tanabe; Kelly Tanabe
Call Number: LB2337.4 .T35 2021
ISBN: 9781617601668
Completely revised with updated descriptions, contact information, websites, and available monies, this guide to financing higher education is the only resource students need to fund their pursuit of knowledge. Balancing detailed explanations with real-life examples and practical resources, the featured topics include finding and winning scholarships, requesting a reassessment from colleges for more financial aid, maximizing assistance from state and federal governments, taking advantage ofeducational tax breaks, and benefiting from government-subsidized student loans. Creative strategies--such as starting profitable dorm-room enterprises, trading tuition costs for volunteer service, and canceling debts with loan-repayment programs--help students find extra money when more traditional routes are exhausted. The provided tips are designed for students of all ages and levels and their parents.
Student Debt by Melinda K. Lewis
Call Number: LB2340.2 .E48 2017
ISBN: 9781440844874
Offering answers to essential questions about student debt and many connected issues, this book examines student debt in the United States at every stage of the process--from the banks that issue the loans to the colleges and universities that collect the payments. Student lending in the United States is one of the most controversial issues in contemporary American discourse. Are these loans the only option for Americans who want to attend college and university in order to attain the best careers and have a productive, enjoyable life? Should the predatory lending practices of for-profit colleges and universities be stopped? How can limits be imposed on student lending amounts without preventing students from getting the education they need to succeed? Supplies highly useful, easy-to-understand information for students as well as general readers who want to learn more about student loans and grasp the key issues of this important socioeconomic issue.
Education Without Debt by Scott D. MacDonald
Call Number: LB2340.2 .M33 2020
ISBN: 9780253051448
Almost 50 million Americans have cumulatively borrowed more than $1.5 trillion to attend college. Roughly one-third of all adults aged 25 to 34 have a student loan. In Education without Debt businessman and philanthropist Scott MacDonald examines the real-life impact of crushing levels of student debt on borrowers and what can be done to fix this crisis. Weaving together stories of debt-impaired lives with stories of personal success achieved with the essential help of financial aid, MacDonald reveals the devastating personal and societal impact of the debt problem and offers possible solutions. He explores the efforts of colleges and private philanthropists to make education affordable and relates his own experience of funding financial aid for need-eligible students at five universities. Education without Debt is a must-read book for anyone concerned about the rising cost of education and what to do about this critical policy and societal issue.
Student Loans and the Cost of College by Paula Johanson (Editor)
Call Number: LB2340.2 S88 2018
ISBN: 9781534502826
Getting into college is one giant hurdle to clear, and paying for it is quite another. This book breaks down the expenses associated with higher education, the various payment options available for students, including student loans, need-based scholarships, and merit-based scholarships, and what other avenues may exist for families to ensure that costs associated with tuition, room, and board stay reasonable. Concerns about "paying off" student loans, interest rates, and timelines are also addressed in this informative collection.
Debt-Free U by Zac Bissonnette; Andrew Tobias (Foreword by)
Call Number: LB2342 .B52 2010
ISBN: 9781591842989
This book can save you more than $100,000. These days, most people assume you need to pay a boatload of money for a quality college education. As a result, students and their parents are willing to go into years of debt and potentially sabotage their entire financial futures just to get a fancy name on their diploma. But Zac Bissonnette is walking proof that this assumption is not only false, but dangerous-a class con game designed to rip you off and doom your student to a post-graduation life of near poverty. From his unique double perspective-he's a personal finance expert (at Daily Finance) AND a current senior at the University of Massachusetts-Zac figured out how to get an outstanding education at a public college, without bankrupting his parents or taking on massive loans. Armed with his personal knowledge, the latest data, and smart analysis, Zac takes on the sacred cows of the higher education establishment. He reveals why a lot of the conventional wisdom about choosing and financing college is not only wrong but hazardous to you and your child's financial future.
Getting Financial Aid by The College Board; The St Martin's Press
Call Number: LB2342 .C635 2018
ISBN: 9781457309243
Getting Financial Aid 2018 is a must-have book for parents and students struggling to meet the cost of college. The all-important FAFSA form is explained with step-by-step instructions, and the College Board's CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE® form is explained by the people who administer it.This guide includes information and advice from experts on how to apply for aid, plus easy-to-compare college profiles giving the "financial aid picture" for more than 3,000 four-year and two-year colleges and technical schools.The guide also shows award amounts and scholarship requirements--no other directory has this level of detail. Completely revised to reflect current college policies and the new FAFSA deadlines!
Student debt by Avery Elizabeth Hurt
Call Number: LB2342 .S864 2020
ISBN: 9781534506237
"As of 2019, Americans owed over $1.56 trillion in student loan debt, and 69 percent of college students who graduated in 2018 had to take out student loans. Student debt has increased significantly over the past twenty years, but what factors have brought this about? Are students to blame for making irresponsible financial decisions, or is the price of education rising disproportionately to average income? How do variables like class and race impact student debt? What impact do these debts have on individuals and the economy? This volume examines the nature of America's student debt crisis and explores possible solutions"-- Provided by publisher.
Community College Companion by Mark C. Rowh
Call Number: LB2343.32 .R684 2011
ISBN: 9781593577414
Enrollment at community colleges is booming. but as students of all ages pursue this path many don't know how to pick the right program, juggle classes with other responsibilities, or succeed academically. This book guides students through these areas and shows them how to make the most of the community college experience. Students will explore certificate and degree options; connect their needs, plans, and personalities to courses and programs; and gain tips for enhancing their financial aid package and scoring scholarships. Community College Companion also takes students beyond the early stages of their experience to set themselves up for success in college and their future careers. Readers learn how to make the most of online courses; take advantage of campus resources; avoid commuting inefficiencies; play it smart during the transfer process; and develop a career plan.
The Price You Pay for College by Ron Lieber
Call Number: LB2350.5 .L49 2021
ISBN: 9780062867308
The hugely popular New York Times Your Money columnist and author of the bestselling The Opposite of Spoiled offers a deeply reported and emotionally honest approach to the biggest financial decision families will ever make: what to pay for college--a decision made even more confusing because of the Covid-19 pandemic. Sending a teenager to a flagship state university for four years of on-campus living costs more than $100,000 in many parts of the United States. Meanwhile, many families of freshmen attending selective private colleges will spend triple--over $300,000. With the same passion, smarts, and humor that infuse his personal finance column, Ron Lieber offers a much-needed roadmap to help families navigate this difficult and often confusing journey.