Visiting Colleges? Check Out These Five Essential Tips and Free Resources From Sallie Mae

Campus visits are now a year-round activity, and millions of high school students will tour college campuses this semester, considering everything from campus culture to costs. Sallie Mae – the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company – aims to demystify the search with free tools and resources to help families along the path toward making an informed college decision starting with college tours. In addition, to help with the tour process, Sallie Mae recommends five essential tips for families to keep in mind before, during, and after they hit the road:

1. Start with a Game Plan
A little planning goes a long way. Before hopping in the car or booking flights, take time to prioritize your college search and your interests. Many colleges and universities offer virtual tours to help you get a feel for the campus experience before arriving. You can also get a head start with Sallie Mae’s free, online College Planning Toolbox. Families can research costs with the College Planning Calculator to estimate the current and future cost of any school.

2. Step off the Campus Trail
Once you arrive on a campus tour, do your best to get off the beaten trail. Explore parts of the school that aren’t on the tour, talk to current students who aren’t tour guides, and get a sense for the campus. Is it urban, rural, eclectic, or vibrant? Can you picture yourself there on weekends? Are grocery stores and pharmacies conveniently located?

3. Get to Class!
Once enrolled, a large chunk of time will be dedicated to your coursework. During your campus visit, ask to attend a class in an area of interest. Make an effort to talk to professors and current students to learn firsthand about interesting courses and campus culture. And while you’re doing that, think about extra expenses: tuition will not be your only classroom expense. Visit the campus bookstore to get an idea of what additional supplies might cost.

4. Keep Your Options Open
Keep an open mind. When you combine estimated expenses with other factors like school size, degree programs, and location, the end results may be intimidating. Remember, though, the sticker price isn’t necessarily what you’ll end up paying. Plus, there are many free tools and resources to help meet college costs. For example, Scholarship Search by Sallie Mae provides free access to 3 million scholarships worth more than $18 billion.

5. Keep Track of Your Progress
After visiting several schools, it’s easy to end up overwhelmed by the sheer volume of information. Take notes while touring and be sure to keep track of likes and dislikes. Then, regroup using Sallie Mae’s College Ahead App, which features a College Scorecard that lets you compare and rank colleges you visited; a calendar to keep track of important milestones and application deadlines; and a road map to help families file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

“As a mother going through the college tour process right now, I know first-hand how campus visits can be exciting and overwhelming at the same time,” said Martha Holler, senior vice president, Sallie Mae. “It’s a good idea to have a game plan in place before you start visiting schools, which is where Sallie Mae and our resources can help. My advice is to tour a mix of college types, sizes, and locations to find the right kind of fit for your child.”

Sallie Mae recommends the 1-2-3 approach to paying for college: first, start with money you won’t have to repay by maximizing scholarships and grants; second, explore federal student loans by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid; and third, consider a responsible private education loan to fill the financing gap.

For more planning-for-college tips, tools, calculators, and interactive exercises, visit salliemae.com/planforcollege.

Sallie Mae (NASDAQ: SLM) is the nation’s saving, planning, and paying for college company. Whether college is a long way off or just around the corner, Sallie Mae offers products that promote responsible personal finance, including private education loans, Upromise rewards, scholarship search, college financial planning tools, and online retail banking. Learn more at SallieMae.com. Commonly known as Sallie Mae, SLM Corporation and its subsidiaries are not sponsored by or agencies of the United States of America.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20150812005967/en/