Author offers advice on financial-aid awards

It's the time of year when prospective college students are receiving financial-aid award offers.
But not all awards are created equal, said Scott Anderson of RealCollegeSavings.com and author of "STOP! Everything You Thought You Knew About Paying For College Is Wrong!"
Many students will get offers from two or three colleges and universities, and Anderson offers some tips to help students and their families be sure they are comparing "apples to apples."
Get a third-party, objective evaluation of the costs for your colleges of choice. Some colleges report costs only as tuition, room and board, while others might add books and fees and event transportation and personal expenses. Web sites such as collegeboard.com can provide realistic expectations of average costs.
Eliminate PLUS loans and third-party loans from the comparison. Those are credit-based loans offered to parents and often have little more benefit than regular bank loans.
Compute your real out-of-pocket costs by subtracting the total student award from the school's cost of attendance to get an idea of what to expect in a bill from the school.
It can be helpful to look up a college's financial track record to see what is offered in grants and scholarships as well as work-study and loans.
Don't be afraid to negotiate once you have the financial information to effectively compare schools. Only those who ask and make a case will ever have the opportunity to improve their awards.