Link to an insightful NY Times article.

A three pronged strategy to review financial aid offers by a college counselor Julia Surtshin to ensure you make an informed evaluation of offers.

I’ve heard about credit cards that deposit money into 529 plan accounts instead of offering air or hotel points and they have always seemed like a reasonable option for some incremental savings. Then last week I met with a client who uses one and has over $16,000 in a 529 account, just from credit card points! That is free money on a pretty grand scale.

I know, I’ve been harping on the FAFSA lately. (Did you fill it out yet? If not, go here to do so.) For those who still have some time before applying to schools, let’s switch gears and talk about where aid comes from.

As acceptances and rejections roll in, it’s time for a reminder that success in life is generally more about what you make of the college experience than what school you attend.

Many families skip the FAFSA on the assumption they won’t qualify for need-based aid. While that may or may not be true, there are plenty of other good reasons to fill it out.