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

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.

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.

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?

After years of saving, it’s time to switch gears and start paying for college. But when do the bills come?

Tuition differentials can add significantly to the cost of college. What are they, and will you have to pay them?

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, so it’s a good idea to pull up the instructions for Form 8863 and review them before filing.

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.

FAFSA data has been delayed again, this time until March. What should you do?

Form 1098-T is a tuition statement that students receive from their college. It serves two primary purposes:

• Documenting eligibility to claim the American Opportunity Tax Credit or Lifetime Learning Credit

• Documenting that the student was enrolled in a college and that 529 withdrawals up to net cost of attendance are therefore qualified

Form 1098-T isn't filed with your taxes; instead, you use the information to file and then keep it for your records.

What’s the secret sauce of 529s? It’s how great they are for financial aid purposes.

Happy 2023! 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.

The FAFSA will be available on Dec. 31. Here’s what you need to do to file it.