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Federal Loan Interest Rates Are Lower – But Are They the Right Choice for You?
Good news: starting July 1st the interest rate for Federal Loans is lower than the borrowing rate for Academic Year 2024-25. This year, students will be charged 6.39% and parents will pay 8.94% for Federal Direct and Federal Direct Plus Loans respectively. The Origination Fees are unchanged for each: 1.057% for Direct Loans and 4.228%…
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What’s the Fuss about 529s?
Headlines abound about the value of college. So, what about saving for college? Why bother saving if there is question about the value of college to start? And what about the argument that saving for college will kill my kid’s chance of getting financial aid? First, that last argument is no argument at all. It…
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The Pros and Cons of a Gap Year
For current high school seniors, and juniors right behind them, the end of this school year brings the reality that immediately leaping into college may not be right for them. What if, instead of rushing into another four years of academics, they took a deep breath – and a year off? What if they took…
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Ask the Expert: Inside College Admissions with Sophie Smith
Planning and paying for college is truly a family affair. And it’s really interesting because the parents have financial and emotional skin in the game and the students are trying to actually for the first time break away and sort of leave the nest, if you will. So it’s a very emotional time. And it…
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Financial, Academic, Social Fit and Timeliness (FAST) = a Great College Fit
Choosing the right college is one of the most significant decisions in a student’s life. Most counselors and families immediately think of Academic and Social Fit. But the bookends to the FAST acronym are equally important: Financial Fit and Timeliness.
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Two Financial Hacks to Wring Long- and Short-Term Risk out of Paying for College
College is expensive. Parents would feel better about investing for their child’s education if they could mitigate some of the future financial risks. Two of the most concerning risks: run-away inflation and fear of a student unexpectedly leaving college. But these fears can be alleviated or even eliminated!
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Ask the Expert: Insuring Your College Investment with John Fees
My College Corner talks with John Fees, Co-Founder and CEO of GradGuard. We love talking to innovators who are finding new and inventive ways to help families save, plan, and pay for college. And GradGuard has a really cool, interesting twist to bring innovation to protect students from the risks of college life.
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Ask the College Savings Expert: Joanne Dashiell
My College Corner welcomed Joanne Dashiell, the CMO of CollegeWell, the Private College 529 Prepaid College Savings Program. Prepaid tuition programs offer college savers an opportunity to beat inflation by locking in the cost of college at today’s price for future attendance. Joanne does a fantastic job of outlining the challenges and benefits of these programs, including…
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Protect Your College Savings from Inflation with a 529 Prepaid Plan
Saving a Dollar Today is Better than Borrowing One Tomorrow®. But, HOW should you save? Over 17 million families have saved more than $500 billion in 529 saving plans and another $26 billion in prepaid 529 plans. Unlike the better-known savings plans, prepaid tuition plans allow families to lock in current tuition rates for future…