‘Safety schools,’ or colleges considered back-ups to students’ top choices, get a bad rap.
But as many students have found, attending a college that isn’t your first choice can be a great way to save money and avoid student loan debt.
Hechinger Report recently published a great opinion piece from Karen Gross on the ‘flawed conversation’ regarding the cost of higher education. She says that too much public focus is placed on the hard costs of college, and not enough on the repercussions of taking out student debt and alternative repayment options for students. We couldn’t agree more with her claims. […]
Even as college costs rise, millions of students are missing out on the opportunity to get free money for college.
According to an analysis of federal data by Mark Kantrowitz, senior vice president at Edvisors Network, about 2 million students could have qualified for the need-based Federal Pell Grant during the 2011-12 academic year.
Of that group, 1.3 million would have qualified for a full Pell Grant of $5,645 for the 2013-14 academic year. That’s a free $22,580 over 4 years. If these students had instead borrowed loans to cover that amount, they’d have to pay it all back, plus interest.
So why didn’t these student receive this free money for college?
They didn’t file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
One of the knocks against community colleges has been that students who complete two-year degrees are less likely to continue on and complete their bachelor’s degree than their peers at four-year colleges. This was confirmed back in 2009, when Bridget Terry Long and Michal Kurlaender found that students who initially began at community colleges were 14.5% less likely […]
How do colleges decide which students should receive financial aid and how much they should receive? Despite the increase in colleges using net price calculators and other reforms to make the process more transparent, financial aid remains a mystery to parents and students–it’s still a “apply, wait and see” type of game. Now, colleges are […]
It’s no secret that college is a huge investment in your future, and costs are rising at most colleges and universities. With the price so high and student loan debt increasing, it’s never been more important to be careful how you spend your college dollars. But which colleges pay off? Are 96% of U.S. colleges […]
We see a lot of students get their heart set on one particular college, only to end up disappointed when they realize they can’t afford it.
As much as parents may try to reason with starry-eyed students, it can be difficult for 17- and 18-year-olds to understand the long-term impact of significant college debt.
This infographic from Affordable Online Colleges shows the benefits of looking beyond your dream school and remembering that prestige isn’t everything when it comes to choosing a college.
Whether you or your child is preparing for college or already enrolled, your family can benefit from working with a financial aid consultant to save time and money on college.
Here are 9 reasons you should consider working with a financial aid consultant.
Looking for an affordable college? Check out some of the schools in the State University of New York (SUNY) system.
Even if you don’t live in New York state, these colleges offer a great value for your tuition dollar.
In fact, nine SUNY schools made Kiplinger’s 2014 list of ”Top 100 Best Values in Public Colleges.” Read on to find out which other schools made the list of affordable, quality schools for both in- and out-of-state students.
When applying for college, it can be overwhelming to figure out how you’re going to afford a 4-year degree.
One of the best things you can do to help pay for college is to be diligent in your search for grants and scholarships.
Check out some of these top scholarship search engines that make it easier to find free money for college.