Do you and your family have a plan to pay for your "family share of costs," the bottom line on the college bill? Many financing options exist, so you'll want to consider each one carefully:

	Payment plans: Most colleges provide a variety of ways to spread out payments, such as monthly payment plans.
	Loans: Parents can borrow up to the cost of education, minus financial aid, with a federal PLUS loan. Students also have the option of taking out federal unsubsidized Stafford loans and private alternative loans. Learn more about loan options.
	Savings withdrawals: Now is the time to withdraw funds from personal savings and college savings plans such as 529 plans.

You're not required to borrow the full amount of loan aid shown in your offer letter. If you can reduce your expenses or increase your funds, you may be able to borrow less. Using money from savings, working more hours, or winning scholarships are all ways to keep your student-loan debt to a minimum.

The College Board Book of Majors provides detailed descriptions of the most widely offered undergraduate majors, such as engineering, nursing, education, and architecture, each written by a leading professor in the field.

  Available for $24.95
  More College Board publications

Congratulations, you know where you're going! Before your first day of classes, you'll need to complete a long to-do list, from securing housing, to completing paperwork, to getting a physical. On the academic front, you might have to study for placement exams in math, writing, science, and languages. Don't worry, it's not all work—there's also plenty of fun ahead.

Why not get a jump on next year's changes with a little advice from MyRoad? You'll find plenty of articles to choose from in the Resource Library's Higher Education section. How to Choose Your College Major outlines a framework for deciding on a field of study. You can also learn about the benefits of Cultivating Relationships with Faculty.