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Student Loans Can Help Build Strong Credit Scores
College students and graduates can use student loans to build a great credit score. These three steps will help you understand the credit scoring process and how student loans can help young consumers build a high credit score and open opportunities for future borrowing.
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Federal Student Loans – Still the Best Deal for Undergrads
Interest rates have increased noticeably over the past year, which means that Federal student loan interest rates will climb as well. When? By how much? Will the rate on this loan increase more in the future? Is there a better option for undergraduate students to borrow for college? These are all questions into which potential…
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529 Plans: A Bad Name for a Great Way to Save for College … and More
In the 1990s, Congress started 529 college savings programs to help families create a nest egg for college. Although marketers would surely advise against naming a program after a section of the tax code, Section 529 in this case, “529s” grew into a preferred way of saving for college. And now the 529s can be…
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Understanding and appealing financial aid award letters
For gardeners, April showers bring May flowers. For high school seniors, the bloom may already be off the rose. The joy of getting college acceptance letters often quickly fades as the reality of comparing colleges and determining “the one” comes into focus.
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Left on the Table: The Saga of Unclaimed Pell Grant and Scholarship Money
Consider the tried-and-true axiom for the lottery: “You need to be in it to win it”. Well, when it comes to applying for federal financial aid, nearly two million high school students annually are deciding not to play the game whatsoever, a decision that is costing almost half of them the chance for some much-needed…
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Help Me Understand Financial Aid
Paying for college can be overwhelming. Knowing the options and identifying sources of money for your family to pay the college bill is half the battle and there’s no time like the new year to get a handle on the details, especially with financial aid season on the horizon.
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Saving for Higher Education is Better than Borrowing
There is no magic, one-size fits all way to pay for college. The trick is finding what works best for your family.
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4 Easy Ways to Boost Education Savings this Holiday Season
It’s never too early or too late to save for college and other education expenses using 529 savings programs. Here are four tips to add a little holiday cheer to your 529 savings accounts. In addition to saving for college, 529 plans can now be used to pay for some elementary and secondary school expenses, $10,000…
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Increasing ROI on Your Investment in College
Calculating a precise Return on Investment (ROI) of a college degree is less important than taking actions that will result in better returns. We can put the calculator away and think simply about how to increase the Return on Investment for education. Maximizing educational ROI boils down to: Minimizing the total amount paid for college…