When I talk with families about building a college budget, I often hear:“Well, our household expenses will go way down once our student goes off to college.” And yes—some expenses do go away. But others pop up to replace them, including costs that don’t appear anywhere in the school’s official Cost of Attendance. If you want a realistic picture of…

It’s that time of year — tax filing season — and if you (or your student) paid for college in 2025, you may be eligible for valuable education tax credits. Many tax software programs don’t provide clear instructions, so reviewing the Form 8863 instructions yourself can make a big difference when claiming credits like the American Opportunity Tax Credit (AOTC)….

I keep seeing LinkedIn posts from financial advisors going into great detail about why they don’t recommend 529s for their clients. And I hear countless stories of families who don’t have college savings, largely because someone told them not to use a 529. Here’s the thing: there are tons of great reasons to use 529s. The simplest is, you’ll have…

Did you get a 1098-T and a 1099-Q among your tax documents? If so, here’s what you need to know about them. Form 1098-T is a tuition statement that students receive from their college. It serves two primary purposes: Form 1098-T isn’t filed with your taxes; instead, you use the information to file and then keep it for your records….

If you’ve been reluctant to fund a 529 college savings account because you heard it hurts you in the financial aid formula, here’s the real truth: 529s are a powerhouse when it comes to financial aid. Yes, your student’s 529 is an asset that is reported on the FAFSA and CSS Profile. This means that about 5% of its value…