529 plans offer tax benefits, have minimal impact on financial aid, and can be used for expanded qualified expenses. Saving in a 529 plan, no matter how close your child is to starting college, can help you take advantage of these benefits and prepare you to utilize a monthly college payment plan.…
By Jonathan Hughes    |
Learn what other names Tuition Break has gone by, how the program works with the Common App, when participating schools are announced, how eligibility is determined, how the program works for undecided students, how it affects financial aid, and what happens if students change their major. …
By Jonathan Gowin , Julie Shields-Rutyna    |
Loan certification is a process in which the college you are attending reviews the amount you have requested to borrow in an education loan and ensures your eligibility to borrow.…
By Lauren Danz    |
Scholarships include the ACF Visionary Scholarship, Save the Everglades Scholarship, Stuck at Prom Scholarship, GoFoodservice Scholarship, BigSun Scholarship, Providian Medical Scholarship, Do-Over Scholarship, Just Poetry Contest, Delete Cyberbullying Scholarship, and Driven Coffee Scholarship.…
By Lauren Danz    |
Factors that determine financial aid include the SAI, financial aid eligibility, a school's prerogative, and the college's strategic goals. …
By Meredith Clement    |
Learn why establishing an Attainable® Savings Account when a child is young will be beneficial to helping funds in the account grow, and how much an investment may be worth in 5, 10, 15, or 20 years. …
By Adam Hartwell    |
Learn why the Common App asks this questions, if this information affects admissions decisions, how you should answer depending on your circumstances, and what to do if you are unsure of your answer. …
By Mike Goodwin    |
Learn if Federal Direct Student Loans are related to the FAFSA, what the annual loan limit is, the difference between subsidized and unsubsidized loans, how to pay the interest while in school, if the loan can be deferred in graduate school, and more. …
By Meredith Clement    |
We answer common questions about appealing, including if you need a specific reason to appeal, how the process works, if it ever hurts to appeal, if you can submit multiple appeals, and more. …
By Meredith Clement    |
When talking to your child about college costs, discuss who will pay for what, who will borrow loans, what amount is feasible for a loan payment, what the four-year plan is, and what to do if you can't afford it. …
By Meredith Clement    |