US News & World Report ran an interesting article with eight financial aid trends for American colleges. The bad news is that college will cost more next year than ever before. But there is some good news, too. Here's what US News had to say (and what I think about it). 1. It will be easier to apply for financial aid. I talked about the changes to the standard … [Read more...] about 8 Trends in Financial Aid
FAFSA
Early Financial Aid Application Gets the Prize
Have you finished the online Free Application for Federal Student Aid? If not, what are you waiting for? It is true that your Expected Family Contribution (EFC) will be the same no matter how long you wait, but if you procrastinate too long you could lose other financial aid funding. The most needy students as defined by each college, gets a Federal Student … [Read more...] about Early Financial Aid Application Gets the Prize
Happy New Year: Time to Apply for Financial Aid
Happy New Year, friends! With a new year, comes a new application for financial aid. Whether this is your first year of college, or your fifth, filling out the FAFSA is an important new year ritual for any student seeking financial aid. Not sure where to start? Here’s a step-by-step tutorial to make sure that you get maximum assistance. Gather all your financial … [Read more...] about Happy New Year: Time to Apply for Financial Aid
Apply for Financial Aid as Dependent or Independent?
This is a question that many students have a most do not like the answer. The federal government considers you a dependent student until the age of 24. Financial aid was designed to fill the gap between what the federal government expects the family to contribute (EFC) toward the students' education. Reality may often be different from this calculation. If a student moves … [Read more...] about Apply for Financial Aid as Dependent or Independent?
2010 FAFSA Is Shorter, Less Confusing
I've been talking up the importance of not only completing your FAFSA (that's the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, in case you haven't been paying attention!), but completing it early. Well, the first opportunity you had to fill out your FAFSA has come and gone: January 1st. But no worries, you still have at least a month -- and maybe a few months, depending on your … [Read more...] about 2010 FAFSA Is Shorter, Less Confusing