Tag: paying for college


These 20 colleges give students the most financial aid

Posted on October 12th, 2018

Few students can afford the high price of college without financial aid. So for prospective college students and families, it’s crucial to know which schools award the most aid before applying to college.

The Princeton Review recently ranked colleges based on students’ ratings of overall satisfaction with their financial aid packages at the 384 best colleges in the U.S. According to their analysis, these are the best colleges for financial aid in 2018:

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1/3 of colleges greatly underestimate living costs

Posted on September 12th, 2018

"If you're aligning your work and borrowing decisions based on aid from the university, there's a possibility you can go through a perfect financial planning exercise and still end up short in the fall." -- David Helene, Edquity

You’re prepared for college. You know exactly how much you’ll have to pay, have borrowed the appropriate amount, and shouldn’t have any unexpected expenses. Right? Not so fast, say researchers. If you planned for college costs using your college’s cost of living estimates, there’s a good chance the amount of money you’ve budgeted will fall […]

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Yes, student loans have origination fees too

Posted on January 22nd, 2018

Most people understand that student loans come with interest — which can add several thousand dollars onto the life of the loan, especially if you extend out your payments.

But many people don’t realize that federal student loans also come with origination fees, much like mortgages or car loans, which can add significantly to student debt totals.

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College tuition hikes are (finally) slowing down

Posted on July 28th, 2017

It seems there’s a light at the end of the college cost tunnel.

While college costs are higher than they’ve ever been (and continuing to rise), the yearly increases are, finally, slowing down, according to new data from the Labor Department.

The department found that over the past 12 months, tuition rose by just 1.9 percent–the lowest rate since before 2007, StudentLoanHero notes.

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What you need to know about New York’s Excelsior Scholarship Program

Posted on April 24th, 2017

Many of our clients have been asking about the new Excelsior Scholarship program, which will provide free tuition at in-state public colleges for New York state students if their family meets certain income requirements.

While it may sound too good to be true, there are a lot of important details and things you need to keep in mind when considering the program. Read these important FAQs about the program, and contact us if you want personalized help figuring out whether it is a good option for your family.

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1 in 5 students don’t apply for financial aid

Posted on August 12th, 2016

We write often about the importance of applying for financial aid, even if you don’t think you’re qualified to receive it.

But a new study from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) found that 1 in 5 students don’t apply for financial aid at all.

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Summer jobs aren’t enough to pay for college anymore

Posted on August 2nd, 2016

Millennials may hear their parents reminisce about putting themselves through college by working a summer job and part-time during the school year, but those days are long gone, NPR reports.

NPR broke down the costs of attending college in 1981-82 and how much students would have to work in order to cover their expenses that year. They then compared this to how much students would need to work to pay for college today with a minimum wage part-time or summer job, and the results are striking.

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The worst colleges cost the most for low-income students

Posted on July 15th, 2016

Many students and families assume that the more expensive a college is, the more prestigious and the higher its quality.

This leads some families to overpay for college under the assumption that there is a positive correlation between price and education quality.

But a recent report from Third Way found that that’s not the case.

In fact, they found the lowest-ranked colleges charged low- and moderate-income students more than higher-ranked schools.

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Private colleges offer record-high tuition discounts

Posted on May 27th, 2016

"There’s almost no one who’s paying 100%." -- Economist Lucie Lapovsky

While it’s no secret that college costs are rising, financial aid has been increasing too, providing more opportunities for students to take advantage of discounts at expensive private colleges, MONEY reports. According to The National Association of College and University Business Officers’ annual survey of tuition discount rates, the average freshman student at a private college only […]

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Podcast: How to win private scholarships for college

Posted on May 12th, 2016

"Why get loans or pay out of your own pocket when you can get someone else to invest in your or your child’s education?" -- J.R. Vasquez

We write often about the necessity of making college more affordable in order to minimize student debt. One of the best ways to reduce your college costs is through private scholarships. They can be time-consuming to apply for, but winning free money for college is definitely worth it. With scholarships, you’ll have to take out less in […]

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