Congratulations to your son or daughter on his or her acceptance to college. Typically, chools let applicants know whether they have been accepted by April 1. Most times, they require your child to reply with an answer by May 1. Along with those acceptance letters come offers of financial aid, if … [Read more...] about How to navigate college financial aid offers
College
What to know about student loans before you borrow
Considering borrowing student loans for your education or your children’s? Here’s the basic information you need to know: Federal Student Loans aren’t always superior Long ago, private student loans were awarded in ridiculously high amounts and interest rates varied, meaning over a 10-year … [Read more...] about What to know about student loans before you borrow
College financial aid packages: What parents need to know
Depending on when your teen filed his or her college applications and FAFSA, college acceptance letters may start hitting your mailbox soon (if they haven't already). And usually right along with those come the follow-up letters that will likely have the biggest impact on the ultimate college … [Read more...] about College financial aid packages: What parents need to know
Top 10 sites for college financial aid
If you have college-bound children, you probably spend a lot of your day worrying about how you could possibly afford to help them pay for their degree. We won't lie — it is a huge investment, considering student loan debt reached $1.75 trillion in this country last year. The good news is there any … [Read more...] about Top 10 sites for college financial aid
7 ways to get free money for college
My niece, Kendalynne Hohe, a kindergarten teacher in Independence, Mo., is an expert at finding free money for college. She not only paid for four years of college using nothing but grants and scholarships, but also walked away with an extra $5,000 when she graduated with a degree in … [Read more...] about 7 ways to get free money for college
Free or cheap SAT and ACT test prep
College admission pressure is getting more intense, and both students and parents are feeling the heat. Many, seeing SAT or ACT scores as an area for improvement, are shelling out big bucks for prep courses. An SAT course can cost $1,000. An SAT tutor can cost (hold onto your hat) as much as $6,600. … [Read more...] about Free or cheap SAT and ACT test prep
5 little-known ways to apply to colleges for free
Five hundred dollars to apply to college? That's what my high school senior almost spent. No, she didn't fall for some Internet scam. Instead, at one point she had a list of 10 prospective colleges. With each school charging $50 or so to apply, we were likely going to spend as much on college … [Read more...] about 5 little-known ways to apply to colleges for free
10 things to know before you fill out the FAFSA
Filling out the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is the single most important thing you can do to pay for college. However, if you don’t list schools that will give you a good financial aid package, the FAFSA form won’t help you. (See our story about understanding financial … [Read more...] about 10 things to know before you fill out the FAFSA
College financial aid: A timeline for high-school students and families
For the six years that our daughters were in college, my husband dreaded filling out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid more than doing our income tax return. Like students in most families, though, our girls were going to need some combination of loans and scholarships to pay for college. … [Read more...] about College financial aid: A timeline for high-school students and families
Good jobs that don’t require a college degree
There are a lot of ways to handle the high cost of a college education. Most experts agree that the cost will be made up over the life of a career by higher-paying jobs that require that college degree. But maybe you aren’t sure it’s worth it. Or maybe you just can’t afford college right now and … [Read more...] about Good jobs that don’t require a college degree
10 things college students should learn about money
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Heading off to college? Congratulations. You’ll be surprised that much of the learning you’ll do over the next four years has less to do with the classroom than with life. If you’re like many young adults, college is the first time you’ll keep your own schedule, plan your own meals, manage your … [Read more...] about 10 things college students should learn about money
10 ways to save on college textbooks
College students, as well as their parents, can experience sticker shock when they shop for textbooks. Books for a full schedule can easily add up more than $1,000 or more a year. I asked my daughter, who is the most resourceful and thrifty textbook shopper I know, for some tips. What follows is her … [Read more...] about 10 ways to save on college textbooks
It’s never too late: Free tuition for seniors
One of my favorite public radio shows features an audience quiz, “Things You Should Have Learned in School Had You Been Paying Attention.” I love listening to the show, but that quiz stumps me every week. Truth be told, I didn’t pay much attention in school because I was eager to get on with … [Read more...] about It’s never too late: Free tuition for seniors
Send your new college student out shopping with these tips
It's finally time to send your first child off to college. The stores are starting to bombard you with tons of off-to-college sales, and you find yourself getting sidetracked and sucked in by all of the offers. You can't help thinking that your best bet is to buy her everything she might … [Read more...] about Send your new college student out shopping with these tips
College students: Get an extra 25% off local Groupons
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College students, you probably know about Amazon Prime Student, where you can get six months of Amazon Prime for free, and then a 50% off discounted rate thereafter. But did you know that you can get a 25% discount on local Groupons? There's no cost to sign up. You just have to verify that … [Read more...] about College students: Get an extra 25% off local Groupons
