A Comprehensive Guide to Navigating College Admissions Deadlines Choosing colleges and then deciding when to apply are at the heart of the college admissions process. Each type of deadline serves different student needs, may lead to binding decisions, and can significantly impact your student’s application strategy. In this blog post, we’ll break down the most common types of college admissions …
Five Things to Consider When Paying the College Bill
Five Things to Consider When Paying the College Bill Paying for college can be daunting for any family or student, but with the right strategies, planning, and information, you can make it more manageable. Here are five essential things to consider when planning to pay for college: Knowing the Cost in Advance Understanding the true cost of college is the …
The Ripple Effect: Understanding How Student Loans Impact Your Student’s Credit Score
For many students, pursuing higher education is a worthwhile investment in their future. However, this pursuit often comes with the financial burden of student loans. Beyond the immediate challenges of repayment, it’s crucial for parents and students to understand how these loans can have a lasting impact on students’ credit scores. In this blog post, we’ll dive into the intricacies …
The Importance of College Fit
Goldilocks and the Three Bears of College Fit All parents want their children to be successful and college is a natural step after high school for many students. In fact, students who attain a four-year degree have historically higher lifetime earnings than their counterparts who do not. According to College Board’s “Education Pays 2023” report, students with a four-year …
What to know: The college admissions timeline
Parents: Know the college admissions timeline The college admissions process can be tricky for any family, especially those going through it for the first time. Separate financial aid and admissions applications, multiple deadlines at each school, standardized exams, letters of recommendation, required essays, and, this year, changes to federal financial aid. No wonder you feel stress. Here’s the good news: …
The Student Aid Index: The New Way to Calculate College Aid
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is about to fundamentally change how eligibility for college financial aid is calculated. Here’s what you need to know and a link to a free calculator to estimate eligibility for college aid using the new methodology. Background On December 27, 2020, Congress passed the FAFSA Simplification Act to simplify the financial aid application form …
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. Step 1: Understand the players and how credit scores are calculated Equifax, Experien, and TransUnion are …
Federal Student Loans – What You Need to Know
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 college students and their families …
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 used for more than just …
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. A great college fit means finding the best collective academic, social, and financial match. But what happens if …