U.S Rep. Michael Michaud, D-Maine, has created a new guide to help parents and students navigate the college financial aid system.

“A Guide to Financing Higher Education,” is available at www.house.gov/michaud.

Created this spring, the 20-page report contains sections on federal and state aid, tax benefits, student loan repayment options and alternative sources of financial aid. It also offers several charts on loan programs, state scholarships and other financial aid information so students and parents can compare options.

According to the House Committee on Education, the average tuition and fees at public and private four-year colleges have risen 38 percent between 1992 and 2002.

Since 1981, the cost of a four-year public college education has increased by 202 percent.