We’ve all read the statistics that a college graduate earns $1 million more over their lifetime than a non-college grad. That’s a pretty compelling reason to go to college, isn’t it? But is it accurate? Or does it depend on what you study? And therefore, what kind of career you will pursue when you graduate? [...]
Last week, we talked about ways to reduce your dependency on student loans. One of the single best ways to avoid costly loans is to plan ahead with a college savings plan. Known as a 529 Plan – after the federal tax code that allows you to save money on your taxes when you invest [...]
So today we are going to look at each component of the cost of attendance and see where we can shave off a few dollars. The goal here is to help you get by on the aid dollars you are getting with less than 20 hours of work a week. Why 20? Research shows that [...]
Plan ahead. The Pell Grant is paid on a pro-rated basis. If you are attending a four-year college or university, they may require you to attend full-time, but most community colleges leave the enrollment decision to the individual students. Research has shown that students who attend full-time are usually more successful in their studies. This [...]
When people think about the cost of attending college, they often think of tuition and fees. Sometimes they remember books. The cost of college is more than those two items. When the Department of Education crunches your numbers and determines if you are eligible for federal aid, they use the formula-COST OF ATTENDANCE minus EXPECTED [...]
As a little reported part of the recently passed tax bill, the Coverdell Education IRA will undergo some rather major changes: 1. The annual contribution is expected to drop from $2000 per year to $500 per year, and 2. The savings will no longer be able to be spent on anything other than college; presently, [...]
