I’ve got another year before I break out into a full fledged panic over sending a kid to college. Always one to prepare ahead, I checked out “Paying for College without Going Broke” by Kalman Chany. The upside: tons of real advice on how to file your taxes and your FAFSA for maximum aid.The downside? This book is really detailed. I grew up in a financially savvy family and even I found my eyes glazing over. Still, if you’re starting to sweat how Junior is going to pay for his college and how much you will be expected to cough up, this is a great resource. Just be forwarned, if you never do your own taxes, if you failed Economics or College Math, you’re probably going to struggle to read this book. Find a friend or family member who has their money stuff together, ask them to read it and give you an overview.

Good luck finding a friend like that.

If it’s too late for you, meaning your little one is entering his/her senior year in high school, get this book to help you fill out the FAFSA form. The authors go through each field at length to explain in slightly better than IRS English what each field is really asking for.

This book is NOT going to help your student find scholarships but there are a raft of other books for that purpose (and I’m all ears if you know of a good one). ”Paying for College without Going Broke” is all about financial aid and loans.