Featured

📌 Before You File the FAFSA

The new Simplified FAFSA is here! Here’s a quick video with some tips that will help you get through it with a minimum of chaos and maximum of financial aid. 🔗

Most recent posts

Featured
How Student Loans Work: Disbursement to Repayment
How Student Loans Work: Disbursement to Repayment

Technically, you can use student loans to pay for any qualified education expense. Practically speaking, because of how they work it tends to be a little more limited.

Read more →
The Most Important Part of Your College Financial Plan Isn't the Money
The Most Important Part of Your College Financial Plan Isn't the Money

It’s not the money. It’s not the FAFSA.

Read more →
When Should You Engage a College Admissions Consultant?
When Should You Engage a College Admissions Consultant?

College admissions consultants can be a huge help in the application process, but when should you engage one?

Read more →
How to Visit Colleges
How to Visit Colleges

Checking out colleges this summer? Whether you’re going in-person or virtual, here are some tips to get the most out of your visits.

Read more →
College Tuition Is on Sale!
College Tuition Is on Sale!

We keep hearing about tuition increases, but it turns out that the actual cost of college is going down. What does this mean for students and families?

Read more →
529 Plans: How to get Money Out
529 Plans: How to get Money Out

My socials are full of prom and graduation pictures, which means it’s time to talk about how you get money out of the 529 plan to which you’ve been diligently (or otherwise) contributing.

Read more →

Highlights

Featured
Comparing Financial Aid Awards
Comparing Financial Aid Awards

We’re almost there: acceptance letters are arriving and the May 1 decision day is right around the corner. For most families, how much schools cost is part of the decision making process.

Read more →
New Year’s Resolutions
New Year’s Resolutions

Happy 2026! Last year I made a New Year’s Resolution and kept it. That makes me a self-appointed expert on New Year’s resolutions. Here are some resolutions for parents planning for college— and my expert advice on how to keep your resolutions.

Read more →
FAFSA and CSS Profile Info for Divorced Parents
FAFSA and CSS Profile Info for Divorced Parents

Filing the FAFSA and CSS Profile raises tons of questions for divorced parents. Here are some answers.

Read more →
FAFSA: Is it an Asset?
FAFSA: Is it an Asset?

What is and isn’t an asset on the FAFSA? Here’s a quick “is it or isn’t it?” for you.

Read more →
FAFSA Basics: Parent Assets
FAFSA Basics: Parent Assets

Parent assets seem to be the area that most families and planners focus on, despite the fact that they typically have the smallest impact on the formula of each of the components. Strategies and tactics to minimize parent assets abound, but for most families these result more in nibbling around the edges than actually making a significant dent in SAI.

Read more →
Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid
Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid

The College Board’s annual Trends in College Pricing and Student Aid report was released recently. Among the headline findings: college tuition prices increased at extremely low rates for the second year in a row, reflecting both a combination of continued impacts of the pandemic and enrollment pressures from demographic trends.

Read more →
FAFSA Resources
FAFSA Resources

Happy FAFSA Day! Are you completing the FAFSA for the first time this year? While you’re waiting for the site to load, here are some resources that will help you get through it with a minimum of chaos and maximum of financial aid.

Read more →
New (School) Year’s Resolutions
New (School) Year’s Resolutions

I think Oregon is one of the last places in the US that starts school after Labor Day so my apologies if you’re no longer in back-to-school mode. Here are some resolutions your family might make for the coming school year. And, here’s hoping they don’t get broken as quickly as the typical New Year’s diet-and-exercise resolutions!

Read more →

Categories

The FAFSA & CSS Profile

Featured
It’s Graduation Time!
It’s Graduation Time!

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that they were learning to walk, and now my kids are graduating from college?!?

Read more →
FAFSA Simplification: What You Need to Know 2
FAFSA Simplification: What You Need to Know 2

FAFSA Simplification is changing many elements that contribute to the Student Aid Index.

Read more →

Saving for College

Featured
529 Plans: How to get Money Out
529 Plans: How to get Money Out

My socials are full of prom and graduation pictures, which means it’s time to talk about how you get money out of the 529 plan to which you’ve been diligently (or otherwise) contributing.

Read more →
How Much Should You Save for College?
How Much Should You Save for College?

A client’s former advisor told her that she should save $800,000 per child for college. None of my initial reactions to that were appropriate for a client meeting, but how much should you save for college is an important question for a lot of families so let’s dig into that.

Read more →
It’s Graduation Time!
It’s Graduation Time!

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that they were learning to walk, and now my kids are graduating from college?!?

Read more →
7 More Uses for 529 Funds
7 More Uses for 529 Funds

Should you find yourself in the fortunate situation of having more 529 dollars available than needed, there are several things you can spend those dollars on that you might not have thought of:

Read more →
I Bonds for College Savings
I Bonds for College Savings

If you’re a financial advisor, it’s hard to go an hour without talking about I Bonds right now. It seems the word is getting out to the general public now too.

Read more →
Choosing a 529 Plan
Choosing a 529 Plan

A recent survey showed that while almost two-thirds of parents were saving for college, only about one-third are saving in a 529 plan. That’s unfortunate, since 529s are usually the best choice for savings, for a lot of reasons. On the other hand, it’s not unexpected, given that the vast array of often confusing choices can be a barrier to use. So, how do you choose?

Read more →

Paying for College

Featured
College Tuition Is on Sale!
College Tuition Is on Sale!

We keep hearing about tuition increases, but it turns out that the actual cost of college is going down. What does this mean for students and families?

Read more →
529 Plans: How to get Money Out
529 Plans: How to get Money Out

My socials are full of prom and graduation pictures, which means it’s time to talk about how you get money out of the 529 plan to which you’ve been diligently (or otherwise) contributing.

Read more →
Appealing a Financial Aid Award
Appealing a Financial Aid Award

About 3/4 of families who appeal their financial aid award receive additional aid. Yet less than half appeal. Here’s how to get more money from the colleges you’re considering.

Read more →
Got Work-Study?
Got Work-Study?

Work study falls under the self-help column of financial aid. If your aid award includes work-study, you should understand what it is.

Read more →
Claiming the American Opportunity Tax Credit
Claiming the American Opportunity Tax Credit

It’s tax time, which means it’s time to claim education tax credits you may be eligible for. Unfortunately, a lot of tax software programs don’t provide good instructions for doing so. Here’s what you need to know.

Read more →
Form 1098-T and 1099-Q
Form 1098-T and 1099-Q

Form 1098-T is a tuition statement that students receive from their college. Form 1098-T isn't filed with your taxes; instead, you use the information to file and then keep it for your records.

Read more →
 

Student Loans

Featured
Required Reading Alert: Borrowing to Attend Your Top Choice College
Required Reading Alert: Borrowing to Attend Your Top Choice College

Thinking it’s worth taking out student loans to go to your first choice college instead of your second choice? Here’s what recent college graduates have to say about their student loans.

Read more →
It’s Graduation Time!
It’s Graduation Time!

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that they were learning to walk, and now my kids are graduating from college?!?

Read more →
Student Loan Interest Rates for the 2023-24 School Year
Student Loan Interest Rates for the 2023-24 School Year

Rising interest rates have resulted in increases in student loan interest rates for the coming year.

Read more →
Who is on the hook for student loans?
Who is on the hook for student loans?

An overview of the three primary types of student loans including insights into which loans don’t require a co-signer.

Read more →
Student Loans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly
Student Loans: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly

It’s hard to hear the phrase “student debt” without “crisis” appended. But like most types of debt, there is “good” student debt and “bad” student debt. To understand the difference, it’s helpful to look at the economics of a college degree. A college education confers many benefits, but when evaluating debt the economic ones are key.

Read more →
Taking out a Student Loan
Taking out a Student Loan

Learn more about what it means to take out a student loans.

Read more →

Application Process

Featured
Colleges Still Have Openings!
Colleges Still Have Openings!

Dream school didn’t come through? Plenty of colleges are still accepting applications.

Read more →
Appealing a Financial Aid Award
Appealing a Financial Aid Award

About 3/4 of families who appeal their financial aid award receive additional aid. Yet less than half appeal. Here’s how to get more money from the colleges you’re considering.

Read more →
Comparing Financial Aid Awards
Comparing Financial Aid Awards

We’re almost there: acceptance letters are arriving and the May 1 decision day is right around the corner. For most families, how much schools cost is part of the decision making process.

Read more →
It’s Graduation Time!
It’s Graduation Time!

Where does the time go? It seems like just yesterday that they were learning to walk, and now my kids are graduating from college?!?

Read more →
Year-End Checklist
Year-End Checklist

Wherever you are on the college planning journey, here are a few actions you can take before the end of the year.

Read more →
Net Price Calculators
Net Price Calculators

Getting an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution is really helpful, and it's pretty easy. The Department of Education's unfortunately-named Student Aid Estimator will calculate the FAFSA's EFC for you with a few data inputs; the College Board offers one for the CSS Profile.

Read more →

Miscellaneous

Summary Block
This block has no content yet. Items you add to the page connected to this block will display here.
Featured

All blog posts

Ann Garcia Ann Garcia

FAFSA Income

While it’s true that there is an income protection allowance on the FAFSA, it’s extremely low– roughly the federal poverty line for a family of your size. The bigger issue is what is included in income and what is subtracted from it to arrive at “Available Income.”

Read More
Ann Garcia Ann Garcia

CSS/PROFILE Question SR 160A

Perhaps the #1 most-frequently-asked question about the CSS/PROFILE is “How am I supposed to answer question 160A?” (“Enter the amount your parents think they will be able to pay for your 2017-18 college expenses.”) It’s a trap, right?

Read More
Ann Garcia Ann Garcia

Why file the FAFSA

As many as 33% of college students don’t fill out the FAFSA. Yes, it’s tedious and time consuming, but it’s worth the effort as not doing so eliminates your ability to access financial aid and even demonstrate to schools that you’re able to pay. Need more reasons then read on…

Read More