Many college-bound students and parents ask us what they should be doing throughout the year to get ready for applying for college and financial aid.
This handy timeline from The College Board shows exactly what steps students and families should be taking from the summer before senior year to May 1 of senior year, the deadline for students to decide whether to attend most colleges.
Not surprisingly, the rising cost of college is a big deterrent for students from low-income families to attend college, according to a new report from Urban Institute. Many low-income students don’t have the same access to information about college and financial aid programs from school counselors as higher-income students do, so a large portion of […]
During high school, a good counselor can make all the difference in helping a student apply to college, particular if the student is low-income or is the first person in their family to go to college. But recent studies have shown that there’s a huge shortage in the number of high school counselors needed to adequately […]
Even though college costs are rising rapidly each year and could reach $334,000 by 2018, fewer families are saving for it than last year, according to a new survey from student loan servicer Sallie Mae. Just 48% of U.S. families are saving for their children’s college education, compared to 51% last year, MainStreet reports. Families are […]
While college costs continue to rise, there’s some good news for students who will be enrolled in college this fall: lower student loan interest rates.
Interest rates on federal student loans for the 2015-16 school year will drop by more than one-third of a percentage point, according to Inside Higher Ed.
Need-based financial aid, particularly in the form of Pell grants, is designed to make college more affordable for low-income students who may not otherwise be able to attend college. But a new study, as reported by the Washington Post, finds that the students who need financial aid the most are the ones who end up with the most […]
A recent article from the Hechinger Report addresses a problem many of our clients face: confusing financial aid award letters from colleges. Full of technical jargon, abbreviations and often misleading information, many letters leave families unsure of how much college will actually cost, which makes it difficult to compare letters from different schools. Financial aid ‘awards’ […]
Scholarships and grants are supposed to help students afford college when they may not otherwise be able to.
But a new report finds that most private scholarships, such as those through Rotary Clubs, or other organizations, are going to more wealthy students than poor ones.
Why have college costs skyrocketed over the past few decades? According to Richard Vedder, Director of the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, the biggest reason for the increase in college costs has been the increase in federal financial aid. Financial aid programs not helping needy students Knowing that the federal government will increase financial aid […]
By now, most high school seniors have heard back from the colleges to which they’ve applied. And many, unfortunately, are likely disappointed with the financial aid package they’ve received from the schools of their choice. In many cases, students find themselves heartbroken over not being able to attend their top-choice college because their family can’t […]