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Happy 2025! 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.
Talking to your kids about money is awkward at best. Here are some strategies to make those conversations less fraught and more productive.
One of the best ways to save for college is to have other people do it for you. Here’s how.
Highlights
Happy 2025! 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.
What is and isn’t an asset on the FAFSA? Here’s a quick “is it or isn’t it?” for you.
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.
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.
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.
Filing the FAFSA raises tons of questions for divorced parents. Here are some answers.
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.
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!
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Saving for College
Student Loans
Application Process
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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 older Millennials have to say about their student loans.
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.
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.
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.
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?
When Do You Pay College Costs?
After years of saving, it’s time to switch gears and start paying for college. But when do the bills come?
Tuition Differentials
Tuition differentials can add significantly to the cost of college. What are they, and will you have to pay them?
Education Tax Credits: The AOTC and LLC
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.
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.
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.