The FAFSA for next school year will be available starting Oct. 1, so now is a good time to start getting ready for it. A few key points: Continue reading FAFSA is Coming
What Colleges Can You Afford?
As fall kicks into gear, students begin looking in earnest at colleges. Kids tend to focus on a few core aspects of colleges when creating and narrowing down a list: majors available, location, big vs small. Later in the school year, I get calls from panicked parents whose students have fallen in love with and often been accepted to wonderful Continue reading What Colleges Can You Afford?
7 More Uses for 529 Funds
Should you find yourself in the fortunate situation of having more 529 dollars available than needed, there are several things you can spend those dollars on that you might not have thought of: Continue reading 7 More Uses for 529 Funds
2018-2019 FAFSA Formula is Here
Wondering about income and asset protection allowances for the coming FAFSA? The FAFSA EFC Formula Guide for 2018-2019 is available here.
Unlike the past few years, the changes this year are pretty modest. The income and asset protection allowance for parents went up nominally. For example, the income protection Continue reading 2018-2019 FAFSA Formula is Here
SAT Test Dates
Generally you are better off waiting to take the SAT until you’ve done enough test preparation to do the absolutely best you can. That’s because by the time junior or senior year rolls around, it can be tough to change your GPA by much, but even a little prep can make a big difference in test scores. Continue reading SAT Test Dates
Will College Tuition Go Down?
This article highlights several trends that may actually be working to bring college tuition down.
Getting Money out of Your 529
Many of you have already made your first tuition payment; apologies if this is coming too late! If you’re getting to the point of making college payments, you need to make sure the relevant bank accounts are attached to your 529 plan. If you’ve been contributing to the plan, it’s pretty likely that yours is already. But your student’s probably isn’t, and if you want money from the 529 distributed to them (here is a previous post on why you Continue reading Getting Money out of Your 529
Summer Jobs and FAFSA
The FAFSA’s new timing– fall instead of spring and prior-prior income year– means that many students’ summer jobs will have a bigger impact on their EFC. That’s because any amount of money they made that is still in their bank account when they fill out the FAFSA is an asset that will be assessed at 20%. (Remember, students don’t get an asset protection allowance.) Need-eligible families may want to consider a couple of steps to Continue reading Summer Jobs and FAFSA
College Savings “Rules of Thumb”
One problem with a phrase like “rule of thumb” is that when you type it, it’s in your mind for long enough to seem extra weird. Setting that aside, a recent New York Times article has some good suggestions for simplifying the college savings process. Among them: Continue reading College Savings “Rules of Thumb”
Don’t be a Stealth Applicant
Stealth applicants are a buzzword in college admissions these days. What is a stealth applicant? It’s someone who applies to a school without ever having interacted with that school prior to the application. It’s become increasingly common as it’s become easier to get information about schools without interacting with them. But if you’re really Continue reading Don’t be a Stealth Applicant
