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Thinking of Transferring? Think Fast
If your student comes home for the holidays unenthusiastic about their school and considering transferring, your first impulse might be to tell them to tough it out for the year and reconsider come summer.
2024 Rhodes Scholars
Rhodes Scholars are announced annually on the Saturday before Thanksgiving, and this year’s recipients once again represent a diverse group of colleges.
FAFSA Updates - Big News!
Recent guidance from the Department of Education includes an actual date for the FAFSA and a welcome change to 529s in the formula.
Here’s What Counts
I’ve spent a big chunk of this fall speaking to a variety of groups about college planning. Here are the most important pieces of the plan.
What Does This College Cost?
How do you know what a college will cost you? Here’s how to figure out.
With FAFSA Changes, Will College Cost More?
Changes to the FAFSA have many families worried that they’re going to have to pay more for college. Is that true?
Are You Asking the Right Questions?
You’re probably asking about size, major and location. What else should you ask about?
FAFSA vs CSS Profile
I write a lot about the FAFSA, but there’s a second financial aid form that’s also important: the CSS Profile. While all schools use the FAFSA to allocate federal funds such as Direct Student Loans, a subset of schools– primarily private schools– use the CSS Profile in their financial aid calculations. There are a few key differences between the two forms.
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.
Does College Make You a Better Person?
College provides a lot of economic benefits— better wages and lower unemployment rates at the top of the list. But does college make you a better person, too? Survey says Yes!
SAI Formula Guide for the 2024-25 FAFSA
Want to know how the proverbial sausage gets made? Here’s a deep dive into the FAFSA’s formula for calculating Student Aid Index.
The Three Types of Scholarships
Every college offers scholarships. Every student is eligible for scholarships. But not every student will be offered scholarships at every college. Here’s how to find colleges that will give scholarships to you.
Write a Love Letter to Your Student
Sending your baby off to college is emotionally messy. Here’s a suggestion to make it a little better.
A Roadmap for Student Success
Got a soon-to-be college student? Louis E. Newman, former dean of academic advising at Stanford and professor at Carleton College, shares strategies and tactics to get the most out of your college experience, from making friends to adjusting to college academics and engaging with faculty.