Here's a sampling of Web sites that can help students find the right college and ways to pay for it.

www.nces.ed.gov/collegenavigator -- National Center for Education Statistics site includes information on college costs, aid by school, retention rates.

https://myroad.collegeboard.com -- Students who took PSAT/NMSQT exam can use MyRoad for free, which includes a personality test and suggests careers and majors.

www.educationplanner.org -- American Education Services (PHEAA) site on choosing and paying for college.

knowhow2go.com -- Site by American Council on Education and Lumina Foundation for Education, showing steps to college from middle through high school.

www.collegeresults.org -- Education Trust comparisons of graduation rates at colleges and universities, including overall and by race and gender.

www.actstudent.org -- ACT college entrance exam site has college and career planning advice.

buildersguild.org -- Offers information on training and careers for trades. Site of the Builders Guild of Western Pennsylvania

www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov/F4CApp/index/index.jsf -- U.S. Department of Education site offers FAFSA4Caster which provides an early aid estimate. The data entered later can be transferred to the official FAFSA form.

www.finaid.org/calculators -- Calculators for costs, financial need, loans and savings.

www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/add-it-up/401.html -- College Board site with calculators for cost, financial need, loan and savings.

www.fafsa.ed.gov -- Federal financial aid form, the main aid application.

www.collegeboard.com/student/pay/scholarships-and-aid/8374.html -- College Board provides CSS/Financial Aid PROFILE, a financial aid form used by nearly 600 schools and scholarship programs.

www.studentaid.ed.gov -- Comprehensive federal government site explaining financial aid.

www.finaid.com -- Site published by Mark Kantrowitz, of Cranberry, who also publishes scholarship search site called fastweb.com

www.ombudsman.ed.gov -- Office of the federal student aid ombudsman can help resolve disputes between federal student loan borrowers and lenders. Also explains payment options.

www.fastweb.com -- Oldest online free scholarship search service.

http://apps.collegeboard.com/cbsearch_ss/welcome.jsp -- Scholarship search by College Board.

www.scholarships.com -- Free scholarship search service.

www.savingforcollege.com -- Guide to 529 college savings plans.

moneycentral.msn.com/investor/calcs/n_college/main.asp -- Calculator for making savings plan.

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