The Debtfree Grad - Useful Links

Sources of Cash

Scholarship and Awards

Studentawards.com

Find out what scholarships and awards you may be eligible for with this very helpful free search engine

Scholarshipscanada.com

An excellent free scholarship search engine to help match you up with potential scholarships and awards.

Fastweb.com

An excellent search engine for finding scholarships and awards that fit with your profile.

College Quest

Another good search engine for U.S. scholarships and awards.

National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA)

An excellent source of information on financial aid programs.

College Savings Plans Network

An excellent resource to find out about the college savings plan in your state.

Canada Millennium Scholarships

A great source of non-repayable funding including the bursaries which make up 95 % of the awards given out and excellence awards which make up the remaining 5 % .

Canada Student Loans Program

If you are going to borrow, the government run programs are the route to go with various forms of subsidization available to ease the burden of taking out loans. Application details available here.

Provincial Loans

Find out what your province is offering in the way of student loans with links to the various provincial programs.

Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

An absolute must for applying for Student Financial Aid in the U.S. You can apply on-line and check on the status of your submitted application.

Banking and Investing

Saving

Canada savings bonds calculators   An excellent tool to calculate how much your Canada Savings Bond will be worth in the future. (Click on the CSB Value Calculator icon.)

Ontario Savings Bonds Calculator   A useful simple tool to help you figure what you'll make from your Ontario Savings bond.

Compound interest calculator A quick way to calculate how much you'll make on an investment based on compound interest.

Inflation calculator    Let's you know the change in dollar value based on inflation since 1914 (well before our time!) Useful in comparing your investment earnings to inflation which eats away at our actual earnings.

Investing

Mutual Fund Fee Calculator   Fees and commissions can eat into your earnings from mutual funds. Find out how much of your earnings are getting eaten up by fees and charges

Mutual Fund Performance Analyzer An excellent tool that lets you compare the how well mutual funds have done in the past. Lets you select the type of funds that you want examine.

www.fundscan.com   Compare how different mutual funds have done in the past.

www.morningstar.com   Helps you compare the past performance of different mutual funds.

Annual Yield Calculator   You set the amount that you have to invest and how much you want it to grow to by a certain date. The calculator tells you what rate of return you need to get there.

Percent change calculator   An excellent tool to calculate the percentage increase or decrease on pretty well anything such as the change in value of investments or changes in price on consumer goods.

Advice for Investors   A good source for basic Canadian stock information. Basic service is free although there is a fee-based subscription for the more advanced services and features.

Canstock    A source of free Canadian stock quotes and company information.

Stockhouse    A free site that lets you track stocks along with providing news and information on publicly traded companies.

Is Your Bank Safe?

Canadian Deposit Insurance Corporation How safe is your money? Check to see if your Canadian financial institution is insured.

Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Can you sleep well knowing where your money is? Check to see if your financial institution is insured.

Unclaimed Money Do you have money sitting in a forgotten account - perhaps one that mom and dad opened before you could even blurt out your name - let alone sign it?

Missing Money Find your long lost money with this free missing money search engine

Credit cards & Debt

Credit Card Costs Calculator Find out which credit card is the best deal based on your situation.

Lump Sum payment calculator How much will you save by paying off your credit card or other debt early by making lump sum payments? The calculator tells all!

Travel and Leisure

Discount student Travel:

Travelcuts.com

Great site for cheap travel deals geared to students and youth. Run by the Canadian Federation of Students.

International Student Travel Confederation (ISTC)

A non-profit confederation of student travel associations offering some great means for students to travel cheaply
Air Fare Searches:

Lowestfare.com

Search engine sniffs out the lowest fares based on your travel plans

Travelocity.com

Another of the fare search engines with fare monitoring and email notification feature

Priceline.com

Allows you to set the price you are willing to pay. Like an auction, however, if you bid you're on the hook if they take your offer.

Discount Train:

Via Rail

Outlines discounts available to students on rail fares.

Amtrack

The latest on student discounts for rail travel in the U.S.

Europe rail travel

Outlines the cheap rail options for European travel available to those under age 26.

Europe rail travel

Ride the rails European style. Details on youth passes for doing Europe by train.

Discount Bus:

Greyhound

Details discounts available to students on bus travel throughout Canada.

Finding your way:

Mapquest.com

Free on-line maps to help you plan your adventure.

Currency Converters:

Exchange rate converter

Yes, our dollar's still worth something - find out how much before you go.

Travel Medical Information:

International Association for Medical Assistance to Travellers (IAMAT)

A non-profit foundation providing infomation on shots, health risks, and English and French speaking doctors around the globe. Free, although a donation is welcomed

Student Discounts and Savings Cards

International Student Identity Card (ISIC)

A great deal if you are travelling, the card gets you deals on anything from transportation to museums.

Youth Hostelling International Card (YHI)

If inexpensive travel is your goal, a hostelling membership is a great ticket to cheap accomodation in over 60 countries, as well as discounts on other attractions worldwide.

Consumer Resources

Better Business Bureau

An organization providing info to protect consumers, record complaints and check on questionable businesses.

Canadian Reinvesment Coalition

A coalition of groups advocating bank accountability. An excellent source of information on bank regulation and changes, and a place to share your experinces.

Letter to your MP on bank mergers

If you're opposed to bank mergers you can voice your opposition. A letter ready to fire off is located here.

Democracy Watch

A non-profit, consumer group advocating a greater and more meaningful role in government and business decision-making by Canadian citizens.

Public Interest Research Group (PIRG)

Great source of information from this public research group that fights corporate power and consumer abuses.

Fair Business Practises Branch

A government bureau that works to maintain and encourage fair busniness competition in Canada.

Better Interenet Bureau

A much-needed organization as the perils of the internet increase. This online, nonprofit, organization works to make the internet a safer place, for people worldwide.

Cheap Food & Entertainment

Tickets

Free TV tickets

Looking to be at (or even on) Letterman? This is the place to find free tickets for some of your favourite shows.

Free tickets

Watch it in peson without paying a cent. Order tickets for your favourite shows free.

Free Magazines

January Magazine

Great source of literary reviews and author interviews. Done in a fun, edgy style.

Into the Garden Magazine

Even if you're the type that has trouble growing mold on bread - these guys can help. A free gardening mag for green thumbs and green thumb wannabees.

Time

America's weekly on-line magazine; to see what's happening south of the border. A new scandal perhaps?

Georgia Straight

Find out what's happening from mainstream to fringe in Vancouver's weekly.

Housing and Furnishing

Housing

Rent Canada

A free listing of rentals in communities across Canada.

Places 4 Rent

A search engine of rentals both in Canada and the U.S.

Tenant Net

An excellent starting point to find information on rental accomodation in your state.

Saving on Phone Bills: Calling Plan Comparison tools

TRAC

If talk is cheap, this tool will let you find out who is the cheapest. Determine which long distance company gives you the best interstate long distance rates based on your calling pattern. A free tool from the Telecommunications Research & Action Center (TRAC), a Washington based non-profit organization.

A Bell Tolls

An excellent free tool that helps you compare your long distance calls both in the U.S. and Internationally.