Archives
Here’s How to Break Down Your College Financial Aid Award Letter
Before deciding on a college for next year, families should look at what kind of aid is being offered and the conditions that apply. What may look like the largest offer might not be the best. Getting into college is one thing. Figuring out how to pay for it is another. Price has become a […]
Four Ways to Help Your College Student Grow Up
None of them involve calling the school to fix their problems. Research has linked overparenting to a wide range of negative outcomes, including low self-efficacy, depression, decreased school engagement and poor academic adjustment. Worst of all, acting as a go-between and swooping in to solve every minor problem can signal to young people that their […]
Half of All Undergraduate Students Don’t Earn a Bachelor’s Degree—Here’s What They Studying Instead
Each year, roughly 2 million college graduates earn bachelor’s degrees in the U.S., and for good reason. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that Americans with a bachelor’s degree have median weekly earnings of $1,173, compared to just $712 a week for those who have a high school diploma. And while the number of students […]
Wealthy Parents Giving up Custody of Kids For Better College Financial Aid
In a shocking recent story reported by ProPublica, reporters discovered 40 cases of Illinois parents relinquishing their guardianship of the children, in order to help them qualify for more financial aid. The parents were typically professionals working jobs that put them in the upper-middle-class bracket; “lawyers, a doctor and an assistant schools superintendent, as well […]
10 Steps to Minimize Student Loan Debt
Learn to borrow wisely for college The majority of students from the class of 2018 took out loans to pay for college, according to U.S. News data: 65% of graduates borrowed student loans, with an average total student loan debt of nearly $30,000. Sometimes this type of debt can be a wise investment, experts say, […]
What to Expect When Paying for College in 2020
Policies related to paying for college may be particularly unpredictable in 2020 – a year one expert calls “the quiet before the storm.” (Getty Images) Students can expect college tuition prices to generally continue the previous decade’s trend and rise to historic heights, despite swirling political talk about free college and schools weighing an increase […]
The Student Loan Problem No One Talks About: Graduate School Debt
A paper released Monday suggests that a failure to address mounting graduate debt could undermine efforts to make higher education more affordable. Even if people can earn a bachelor’s degree at little to no cost, those savings could become inconsequential if they pursue an advanced degree. The rise of expensive graduate programs, a dearth of […]
COLLEGE PLANNING GUIDE: Holiday Vacation is Over, Students Keep These 4 Things in Mind
Start the New Year with an open mind as you consider all of your options Happy New Year! As the holiday season comes and goes, it is time to refocus our energy and passion on new beginnings. We can hit the reset button in our lives as we reflect on the prior year. As the […]
College students panic over FAFSA’s fine print about registering for the draft
After a U.S. airstrike killed Qassem Soleimani, the head of Iran’s Quds military force, in Baghdad on Thursday, Iran vowed “crushing revenge” against all responsible. Now, with #NoWarinIran, #TrumpsWar and #WorldWarIII trending on Twitter, users are looking into the draft — particularly college students about how the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) could […]
College Initiatives For 2020: Payment Of Student Loan Debt
As we begin the new year, it’s a good time to consider some initiatives in higher education that deserve more attention and broader adoption. Colleges have recently introduced creative policies in areas such as financial aid, academic programs, and student success. This month I plan to highlight a few of these efforts in the hopes […]