College costs vary quite a bit, depending upon the type of school attended. For example, at many of

the more expensive private schools, ______ costs (including tuition, room, board, books, travel to and from home, and other expenses) may ______ $20,000. Of course, public universities are much cheaper. At these schools, tuition is ______ higher for out-of-state students than it is for those whose ______ residence is within that state. Tuition at community. colleges ______ about half the in-state cost of public, four-year colleges and universities.

For those that cannot afford the cost of a college education, ______ aid is the answer. Students in the U.S.A. received about $20 billion per year in financial aid. In recent years, nearly 75% of students in postsecondary programs have been receiving some form of financial aid. There are three main types of financial aid: (a) ______ (grant), which are gifts that students do not repay; (b) ______ to students and/or their parents; and (c) student ______ (work/study), a part-time job which the school gives the student for the academic year. Most financial assistance to outstanding students who do not need the money (commonly called merit-based aid) is limited.

The funds for all of this aid come from three main sources--the federal government, state government, and private ______. Every American college and university has a financial aid office to help students find out what kind of aid they might be qualified to get and to assist them in completing the complicated application forms. Aliens who are permanent residents in the U.S.A. are qualified to receive government assistance, but foreign students are not.

A) financial B) annual C) scholarships D) loans E) prejudice

F) exceed G) constant H) yield I) averages J) permanent

K) employment L) manufacture M) significantly N) entertainment O) contributions