One type is Scholarships, normally awarded from funds contributed to the institution by private donors.

The second type, Discounts, (sometimes called scholarships or waivers), is financial aid awards applied to the student’s account at the time of enrollment.

Most students, no matter where they attend college, qualify for some type of institutionally awarded financial aid.

According to Inside Higher Ed News (May 2005), "tuition rates will go up every year at private colleges by a little more than the rate of inflation." And, according to Dr. Paul Ransdell of tuitiondiscount.com, many public universities have reported double-digit percentage increases in recent years.

CNN.com (April 2003) asserts that college students can negotiate tuition discounts. "Like the sticker cost on a car and the fare charged for an airline seat, the price (of college)...is subject to change -- and getting a break on the cost may be as simple as asking."

"Applicants to schools where discounting is available usually aren't aware of the practice until they start looking more closely at financial aid packages."

Ransdell, founder of this innovative new website, loves telling people about the Free College Search feature of tuitiondiscount.com. By filling out a simple Preference Profile, individuals get instantly matched with the four most compatible institutions per their situation and preferences.

The Free College Search is an important feature for anyone who isn't sure where to start. Here's why. According to R.S. Hansen of Quintessential Careers, "Choosing where you want to go to college is an extremely personal -- and frequently stressful -- decision that teens and their families have to make."

And yet, born of his own hardships getting to college, tuitiondiscount.com's Ransdell states, "I always knew there was a better, simpler way to college."

"I knew nothing about getting into college. I was out of work and aimless in the Highlands (in Louisville, KY), risked gunfire on South 7th Street to apply to college on a whim, and spent nine hours on a bus just to get to college, carrying a single suitcase of everything I owned and all $300 savings in my pocket."

"Believe me, I know how hard it can be."

How do tuition discounts work? The college or university quotes you its full sticker price, then offers to reduce the amount for you. They may call it a scholarship or a waiver, but the result is the same -- less money out of your pocket.

Of course, you won't actually get to handle the money. A tuition discount comes in the form of a credit to your account at your college or university.

Note: tuitiondiscount.com does not guarantee every applicant a tuition discount or scholarship. But we do promise that every institution in our database does discount its tuition in some fashion to various categories of applicants, and most discount very generously to those who meet admissions criteria. That is why the accuracy of information you submit is important. So while we cannot guarantee you will be admitted -- that is the college's or university's decision -- we do believe that when you ARE admitted, you can benefit from tuition discounts.