It’s 2020 so I have a podcast. For me it’s an opportunity to explore a broader range of college-related topics. My latest episode is an interview with college admissions consultant Julia Surtshin where she offers some fantastic guidance on the application process in the COVID era: how to find good fits when you can’t visit, test-optional admissions, and letting go…
I had the privilege to participate in the Let’s Talk College webinar series organized by Olivia Pura, a graduate student at the University of Chicago who is using her platform as Miss Illinois USA to advocate for the inclusion and equality of women in STEM fields. We covered a range of topics from planning for college costs to managing a…
Students whose parents are divorced have some planning opportunities if the exes are willing to cooperate. The first step is of course to understand the planning areas. And the first step of that first step is to understand a key definition: “custodial parent.” Custodial parent is used in two primary places for college purposes, and in ways that are completely…
The FAFSA won’t be available until Oct. 1 but in the meantime you can download the EFC Formula Guide for the current year and calculate your Expected Family Contribution. This year’s FAFSA EFC formula includes nominal inflation-related adjustments to the Income Protection Allowance, Adjusted Net Worth of a Business or Farm, and Assessment Rates and, for the first time in…
I write a lot about the FAFSA, but there’s a second financial aid form that’s also important: the CSS Profile. While all schools use the FAFSA to allocate federal funds such as Direct Student Loans, a subset of schools– primarily private schools– use the CSS Profile in their financial aid calculations. There are a few key differences between the two…
