Category: Financial Aid


6 things you should know about the new student loan rates

Posted on August 14th, 2013

On August 9, President Obama signed into law the student loan deal that lowers rates on new federal student loans. There’s still more work to be done to make college more accessible and affordable for students, but it’s a start.

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How to pay for college without loans

Posted on August 12th, 2013

"As a society, our main goal should be to help position new college graduates to start their professional careers on a solid footing and without the weight of student loan debt." -- Celest Horton

Even with today’s high cost of college, it’s still possible to pay for school without taking out student loans. This article offers some great tips and advice for reducing college costs, from taking college classes while you’re still in high school to actively searching for scholarships all through college. Because of her diligence, the author was […]

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Decoding the language of financial aid

Posted on August 9th, 2013

Inside Higher Education published a great piece on understanding “financial aid speak” from college financial aid offices. To the average parent, it can feel like college financial aid representatives are speaking a whole different language.

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What happens to my 529 plan if my child gets a scholarship?

Posted on August 2nd, 2013

You thought you were doing the right thing by investing in a 529 plan to save for your child’s college. But what if your student receives a scholarship that covers most, if not all, of his or her college expenses?

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Student loans don’t cut it: how Americans pay for college

Posted on July 30th, 2013

As college costs continue to rise, families have become increasingly aware of the need to carefully consider various college options before sending their students to an ultra-expensive school. Check out this video to learn about the varying ways American families and students are paying for college.

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Will having a job reduce a student’s financial aid for college?

Posted on July 11th, 2013

Many prospective and current college students don’t realize that their income and assets are taken into account when they apply for financial aid, just like that of their parents. So should students be worried about earning too much money and receiving less financial aid if they have a job?

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Are student loan borrowers the new pilgrims?

Posted on June 27th, 2013

"Throughout our history, the American dream has often come with a loan repayment plan. The Pilgrims that settled in Plymouth Bay in 1620 were backed by London merchant bankers (essentially private equity). The Pilgrims eventually bought out their investors, paying off their debt in installments." -- Chris Farrell

In this insightful article from the Star-Tribune, writer Chris Farrell compares current student loan borrowers to the pilgrims that settled in Plymouth Bay in 1620. These pilgrims were backed by London merchant bankers and eventually bought out their investors, paying off their debt in installments. Student debt is good debt Farrell argues that, as just as the […]

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Student loans in a nutshell

Posted on June 19th, 2013

Confused about your student loan options? This cute video from Planet Nutshell explains the differences between federal subsidized and unsubsidized Stafford loans, parent PLUS loans, and graduate PLUS loans in simple terms.    

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Not all college degrees are created equal

Posted on May 13th, 2013

"When you come into Staples, you come out with office supplies; when you go into a car dealer, you come out with four wheels and a motor. It’s not clear what you come out with, with a college degree. It’s a different thing for everybody." -- Michael Hout, Professor at UC Berkeley

Not all college degrees are valued equally in the marketplace. When making your college decision and figuring out whether it’s worth the price, you need to consider how valuable your degree will be when you graduate. According to a recent Education Sector report titled “Degrees of Value: Evaluating the Return on the College Investment,” there are three […]

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How much will college cost me?

Posted on May 3rd, 2013

Students and families shopping around for the best college for their money might be initially turned off by most schools’ high costs of attendance. But most students and families don’t pay a school’s sticker price–in fact, many pay significantly less, or even nothing, for their college educations. Check out this video to learn about net price calculators and how they can help you determine the real cost of college.

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