As college costs continue to rise many students and parents are increasingly concerned. Some might even say desperate.

According to SmartMoney Magazine, one parent in the Boston area recently posted an ad on Craigslist offering to sell his body parts to pay for his childrens' $200,000 in student loans.

Before offering their bodies to medical science, parents and teens should turn to the library for help with career exploration, college preparation, college applications, and financial aid. >

On Thursday, April 7, at 5:30 pm, April Morey, regional representative from the College Foundation North Carolina (CFNC), will be speaking at the Southern Pines Public Library as part of the national initiative Money Smart Week @ Your Library. She will be presenting "Funding Your College Education" and will have information for students and perspective students of all ages.

Morey travels throughout southeastern North Carolina educating students, families, counselors, and community members on CFNC's free resources. She finds one of the most common misperceptions concerns the difference between tuition and the overall cost of attending college.

"Tuition is just a small part of the cost," she says. "On average right now, cost of attendance is $16,000 at our four-year public colleges and universities in North Carolina, and there is a 6 percent inflation rate each year."

Not surprisingly, most families are looking for free money for college. >This process begins by filling out the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form during the >student's senior year of high school, after Jan. 1. >Each college has its own set of deadlines for financial aid, and students should visit the college's website or contact the colleges individually for this information.

"When you fill out the FAFSA form, you are automatically applying for all federal and state grants, federal work study, and federal education loans," Morey says.

The FAFSA form is also required at many colleges before they can give any institutional aid often in the form of scholarships.

School counselors will be able to help with the scholarship process as well, but it is up to the student to ask for the information. Morey advises parents not to pay for scholarship information or for the FAFSA form.

"The FAFSA form gets filled out each year and is based on the previous year's income and asset information," she said. "Other than that, students can apply for scholarships from local or national organizations or through the colleges." >

For more tips on paying for college, be "Money Smart" at Southern Pines Library Thursday, April 7. The program is free and open to the public.

For more information call 692-8235 or visit www.sppl.net.