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Parent assets seem to be the area that most families and planners focus on, despite the fact that they typically have the smallest impact on the formula of each of the components. Strategies and tactics to minimize parent assets abound, but for most families these result more in nibbling around the edges than actually making a significant dent in Student…

The speaker at my son’s graduation, Michael Tubbs, delivered a fantastic address full of meaningful and actionable advice. One message in particular stuck with me: “College doesn’t make you a better person, but it does make you more prepared to deal with the challenges you’ll face in the future.” A recent study shows he may be wrong about that: College…

Last week, the Department of Education updated its draft Pell Eligibility and SAI Guide for the 2024-25 FAFSA. This is a draft of the formula that will be used for the FAFSA that will be released this fall. While it’s not final, the key elements in it are already part of the Federal Register so we’re unlikely to see changes…

Many people estimate their Student Aid Index (the renamed Expected Family Contribution) and then automatically assume that because it’s so high, their student isn’t eligible for scholarships. In fact, every student is eligible for scholarships. And every college offers scholarships, though not to every student. So it’s up to students and their families to understand what types of scholarships are…

Sending your kid off to college is a veritable cocktail shaker of emotions. Excitement and pride mix with sadness and worry to make for some messy parents. Keeping it all together matters– not just to avoid family pictures with mascara streaming down your cheeks but also because your student is probably feeling some of the same things and looking to…