Web Site Pick of the Week: NCES.ed.gov by Rachael Chihak* (Guest Contributor)

Web Site: NCES's College Navigator  (http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/)

REASON:

So, you know what you may want your major to be in college (or at least have it fairly narrowed down?). Congratulations!  So how do you find the right college for you? Choosing a college is one of the most important things that you ever will do, so how do find the right one without breaking the bank? The College Navigator site from the National Center for Educational Statistics (NCES) may be what you need.

            NCES's College Navigator is an interactive site that allows you to search for colleges with the programs that you want based on location. Not only that, but you can also narrow down your school choices by tuition prices.This provides students with the programs and options that they want in the price range that they can afford.  

            By using the site to search for colleges that are close to you, have all the majors that you are interested in, and has a reasonable tuition, you can eliminate colleges that are not going to be a good fit for you. By narrowing your college search, you can avoid many unnecessary costs and reduce your dependence on student loans. Have realistic goals and try not to spend money on colleges that are not true to your goals. 

            Choosing the correct college for you is important, and helps to control your future student debt. NCES's College Navigator lets you look at not only colleges' programs and surrounding areas, but also their tuition. 

• Do you have a tuition range in mind?
• Are you willing to go to a more expensive college (and possibly incur more debt) if the school offered everything you were looking for?

 * Rachael Chihak is an undergraduate student with UK Family Sciences Department.

Reference:

College Navigator. (n.d.). National Center of Educational Statistics. Retrieved from http://nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator/.