We’re almost there: acceptance letters are arriving and the May 1 decision day is right around the corner. For most families, how much schools cost is part of the decision making process. But comparing award letters from different schools might seem like comparing apples to taco salad. The good news is, all offers need to show total cost of attendance,…
Student Loans
You’re likely aware that payments and interest on federal direct education loans have been suspended. The suspension began last March and has been extended several times since then, both through the CARES Act and subsequent administrative orders. The most recent extension runs through September 30, 2021. The suspension includes the following provisions: All federal direct loans including direct student loans,…
Has there ever been a year as hotly anticipated as 2021? And among all the new year’s resolutions to get back to living our best lives as soon as we can– travel, time with friends and family, in-person school– might I suggest some resolutions for families of college-bound children? I’ve divided them by age range to make it easy for…
It’s hard to hear the phrase “student debt” without “crisis” appended. But like most types of debt, there is “good” student debt and “bad” student debt. To understand the difference, it’s helpful to look at the economics of a college degree. A college education confers many benefits, but when evaluating debt the economic ones are key. College graduates—those with a…
Nationally, FAFSA completion rates are down over 16% compared with this time last year, with just under 19% of current seniors having completed it through the first week of November. While the drops are steeper in lower income schools, schools with higher concentrations of students of color and in rural areas, significant declines show up across all school demographics. Many…