If you’re still looking for your dream school, head over to NACAC’s College Openings Update. This list of colleges still accepting applications is released annually in early April, and serves as a reminder that plenty of colleges are happy to welcome students rather than rejecting them. The database allows you to search on numerous criteria including location and availability of…
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April is Financial Literacy month, so I’m going to write about some broader topics that might be helpful to you and your student. Starting with credit scores: what are they, how do you get one, why do you care? My friend Jennifer, who’s also a financial advisor, says that a credit score is the adult version of an SAT score….
Financial aid awards come in all shapes and sizes. Unfortunately, so do financial aid award letters and comparing them can seem like comparing apples to hot dogs. Here are the key elements to look for: Cost of Attendance. This should be at the top of the award letter and it– not the size of scholarships– should be your starting point…
State funding for higher education exceeded $100 billion for the first time in the current fiscal year, according to the Grapevine Report, an annual report produced by by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association and Illinois State University. This preliminary report shows projected spending for the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2022, which corresponds to the current…
Getting an estimate of your Expected Family Contribution is really helpful, and it’s pretty easy. The Department of Education’s unfortunately-named Student Aid Estimator will calculate the FAFSA’s EFC for you with a few data inputs; the College Board offers one for the CSS Profile. While each has its limitations– in particular, the Profile’s EFC estimator doesn’t account for the myriad…