(MONEY Magazine) – PAYING THE BILLS BY ANDREW FEINBERG How five students are raising the cash they need for college 6 Introduction 16 Eran Rosenthal, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 26 Jeremy Coate, Reed College 38 Michelle Mello, Stanford University 50 Kyle Lewis, Northeastern University 62 Chris Milz, University of Wisconsin at Madison

7 THE BUDGET CRUNCH HITS THE CAMPUSES BY BETH KOBLINER Money woes are forcing colleges to cut faculty and services.

10 THE NEW FACTS OF CAMPUS LIFE BY MARLYS J. HARRIS Your best defense against perils like alcohol abuse, crime and bigotry is to learn all you can about how administrators are combating them.

18 FINDING A SCHOOL THAT FITS BY LANI LUCIANO To help your child choose wisely, you must get all the key facts.

20 THE STATE OF THE STATE SCHOOLS BY RUTH SIMON Even though tuitions are rising, public universities still provide solid, low- cost education. Here are profiles of the six biggest state systems.

28 THE BEST INVESTING STRATEGIES TODAY BY CLINT WILLIS How to meet college costs whether your child is a toddler now or a teen -- WORKSHEET: HOW MUCH MUST YOU SAVE? -- TABLE: A GUIDE TO THE LEADING LOANS

40 HOW TO WIN THE FINANCIAL AID GAME BY DENISE M. TOPOLNICKI If you understand the way the aid system works -- including the unspoken rules we outline here -- you will be sure of getting every penny you deserve. -- WORKSHEET: ESTIMATE YOUR SHARE OF THE TAB

54 THE COLLEGE ADMISSIONS CALENDAR BY LAUREN SINAI This timetable of deadlines can make your quest for a school easier.

56 AMERICA'S 10 BEST COLLEGE BUYS BY MARLYS J. HARRIS Profiles of the schools delivering the top values in higher education

64 MONEY'S VALUE RANKINGS BY JERSEY GILBERT The 100 schools that give you the most for your money

67 MONEY'S GUIDE TO 1,011 COLLEGES Key data to help you get started on your college search

106 WHAT PARENTS LEARN FROM COLLEGE BY JAMES D. ATWATER A father of six on the surprising rewards of putting kids through school

COVER PHOTOGRAPHS BY ANDREW ECCLES