If your financial aid award includes work-study, it’s important to understand what it actually is — and what it isn’t. Work-study falls under the “self-help” category of financial aid. It’s not free money. Instead, it’s an opportunity to earn money through a qualifying on- or off-campus job. You only receive those funds if you find a job and work during…

Buying I Bonds was a smart move back when they were paying 9%. But with interest rates much lower now, they might feel more like a high yield savings account with extra hassles attached. Good news: you can use your I Bonds to pay for college– and like a 529 distribution, the interest could be tax-free. You have a couple…

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…