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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…
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Plain talk: what student loan forgiveness means for you
There is something for just about everyone in President Biden’s Student Debt Relief Plan: current undergraduates, graduate students, and parents alike. But, as with all government programs, the devil is in the detail. This article will help you figure out which of the new benefits applies to you.
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Beyond Tuition: How to Manage Other College Costs
College costs continue to rise, and if you’re concerned with how you’re going to pay for it, you’re certainly not alone. Understanding the total cost of college, not just the tuition, and how to manage those costs is important.
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Student Loan Basics: Which is better for you – Federal or Private Student Loans?
Picking a student loan that meets your needs requires an understanding of some basic concepts. This article explains the difference between undergraduate federal and private loans.