The average 529 account balance is $27,741, according to the College Savings Plans Network– about the cost of a year of in-state public college. If that’s the case, why did Congress bother creating a rule that allows excess 529 funds to be rolled tax- and penalty-free to Roth IRAs? Here’s another statistic: Less than half of families who save for…

Last week the Department of Education announced that it has begun transmitting FAFSA data to colleges, and will begin ramping up the volume of FAFSA data transmissions to colleges. That means it’s time to prepare to interpret financial aid award letters. For most families, how much schools cost is part of the decision making process. But comparing award letters from…

Saving for college feels like the ultimate moving-the-goalposts goal. After all, you don’t know how much college will cost until your child actually chooses a college. How does a parent of a two-year-old know how much to save? Or even of an 8th grader, for that matter? Public? Private? Scholarships? How much will tuition increase over the next 16 years?…

When is Cost of Attendance not your cost of attendance? When a college has tuition differentials. A trend that’s gained steam in recent years, tuition differentials are surcharges for certain courses, majors or academic years. Found primarily at public universities, tuition differentials have been around for a while in STEM fields and seem to be spreading to others including art,…