MEFA Blog
Keep up to date with the latest news about planning and financing a college education and preparing for your financial future, from experts here at MEFA and across the industry. Browse through our blog and use it as your very own college planning guide.
Calculate your EFC by entering your state of residence, the number of people in your household, the number of children you anticipate to be in college, information about the finances of the student's parents, and financial information for the student.…
By
Meredith Clement
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We asked financial aid administrators at three different Massachusetts colleges how they would respond if a perspective student appealed for more financial aid. Answers ranged from not matching another school's offer to potentially granting more moderate requests. …
By
Jonathan Hughes
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Tips include creating a spreadsheet, starting local then expanding, searching scholarship databases, and creating an account. …
By
Lauren Patten
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Students complete steps to earn a chance for a scholarship of up to $40,000, including Building a College List, Practicing for the SAT, Improving SAT Scores, Strengthening Their College List, Completing the FAFSA, and Applying to Colleges…
By
Jenny Caccavale
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Next steps include signing the MEFA Loan Agreement (MLA) and Self-Certification Form, having the college certify the loan, setting up an account with our servicer American Education Services (AES), returning excess funds, and making voluntary payments if you wish to do so. …
By
Stephanie Wells
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MEFA is excited to be a part of ForYouNotForProfit.org, which includes information on financial aid and scholarships, guidance on establishing a college savings account, and a streamlined search engine to help students and parents find education loans through non-profit and state-chartered organizations.…
By
Lauren Patten
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Learn how to use the Student Loan Payment Calculator to find out your projected monthly payment and total loan cost based on the amount you plan to borrow, the interest rates for all five repayment options, and the length of repayment.…
By
Meredith Clement
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Our checklist includes checking the College Scorecard to learn about affordability and value, using a school's Net Price Calculator to determine the financial aid you could receive, and reading through admissions and financial aid websites to learn about merit scholarship and different financing opportunities. …
By
Amy Staffier
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Learn what scores a student must receive on their MCAS in order to qualify, what the scholarship covers, how to apply the award, how to maintain the scholarship, and how much the scholarship is worth at each Massachusetts school. …
By
Lauren Patten
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A UMass Amherst graduate breaks down his plan - including tackling private loans first, consolidating federal loans, switching to an income-based repayment plan, and factoring loans into an overall monthly budget. …
By
Sean Hauter
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