Blog
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I've moved my blog to Substack! Check out some of my most recent posts below.
Subscribe now to keep up with me and access exclusive perks, including live discussions with college planning experts, time to ask me anything, and more.
Looking for my older blog posts? Check out my full blog archive below.
Blog archive
Student Loans by School
If you’ve been reading this for a while, you probably know I’m a huge fan of College Navigator as an information source. It’s run by the National Center for Education Statistics and has some information that any prospective student should be aware of.
Series EE and I Bonds
Many parents and grandparents purchase education savings bonds– series EE or series I bonds– to pay for college. These bonds are tax-free within some limits, and it’s not uncommon for families to find out too late that they’ve landed outside the limits.
About All That Mail…
If your mailbox is starting to be overwhelmed with college and related marketing promotions, you can thank the College Board or ACT. More on that…
What’s a 1098-T?
If you have a college student, you (or they) probably received a form 1098-T. Schools are required to send this to any student who paid qualified higher education expenses. Here’s what you need to know about your 1098-T
Comparing Financial Aid Offers
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a nifty tool for comparing school costs or financial aid offers, here. As you get acceptance and financial aid offers, enter them into the site to get apples-to-apples comparisons of what you’ll pay and what you will owe upon graduation.
College Savings and Education Outcomes
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to save (or save more) for college? If so, you may be increasing the odds that your student will attend and graduate. Research shows that, across income levels, students who have savings designated for college are more likely to attend and graduate.
Work Study
A financial aid package often includes work-study as one component. Typically the package includes a dollar sum of work-study income to be used for education costs.
Trends in College Pricing
The College Board’s annual Trends in College Pricing report came out recently and as always, includes some fascinating data.
Outside Scholarships
Outside scholarships are those that come from someone other than the federal government or your school. Examples include National Merit Scholarships, scholarships from you or your parents’ employers, or from other civic institutions.
Superscoring
With standardized test season in full swing, let’s talk briefly about superscoring. (Why, on a paying for college blog, are we talking about standardized tests? Because they’re one of the best tools for earning merit aid.)