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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. 🔗
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How Much Should You Save for College?
Saving for college feels like the ultimate moving-the-goalposts goal. How can you make good choices about college savings that won’t derail your family’s other priorities?
Tuition Differentials
Tuition differentials can add significantly to the cost of college. What are they, and will you have to pay them?
The Problem with Parent PLUS Loans
Many financial aid packages include Parent PLUS loans. While these loans can appear to be a good way to close funding gaps, too often they trap older Americans in a debt spiral.
More FAFSA Delays. Now What?
FAFSA data has been delayed again, this time until March. What should you do?
529s Are a Financial Aid Powerhouse
What’s the secret sauce of 529s? It’s how great they are for financial aid purposes.
Get Ready: The FAFSA Is Coming
The FAFSA will be available on Dec. 31. Here’s what you need to do to file it.
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.
The FAFSA asks about income numerous ways: it collects your tax return data through the IRS Data Retrieval Tool and then poses a number of additional questions about income. Let’s look at those.