Sep 18

Parents, Dependents, and Financial Aid: Clarifying Relationships and Reporting

When dependent students apply for financial aid whether via the FAFSA or CSS Profile, they will have to provide parental information as part of the process. Some questions can come to mind. What students are independent? When are they considered dependent? Who are the "parents"? What happens in situations like... read more →

Sep 11

How Are Test Optional Colleges Handling Merit Scholarships?

The SAT exam was born in 1926 and the ACT in 1959. The ACT and SAT exams were created for the purpose of leveling the playing field in college admissions. Regardless of a student's background, these "standardized" tests were intended to provide a way to compare students...a sort of apples... read more →

Sep 04

College classes have gone online. Why does it still cost so much?

Colleges were hopeful. They hoped to have students on campus and taking classes in person despite COVID-19. As we wrote this piece, some colleges are holding classes in person, but each day another college announces their classes will be moved to an online format. This list from The Chronicle of... read more →

Aug 26

Liberal Arts Colleges in Crisis

When we originally wrote this blog back in March of 2019, we focused on the small liberal arts colleges that were struggling financially and closing their doors. Small names like Green Mountain College, Mount Ida, Southern Vermont, Newbury, and more were all closing their doors. Today in the time of... read more →

Aug 18

For-Profit Colleges: What You Need to Know

Often, we only hear the horror stories about for-profit colleges. We hear the news about the college that took advantage of their students leaving them with huge debt, no better employment prospects, and maybe even without a degree. These horror stories are not to be ignored, but for-profits can be... read more →

Aug 13

College Students and Credit Cards

Every year as parents send their children off to college for the first time, they wonder...should I get my child a credit card? According to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the total credit card balance in the US reached $890 billion in the first quarter of 2020. (This... read more →

Aug 07

Getting Sick at College: Some Financial Considerations for Parents

Every fall, parents send their children off to college. The anxieties for parents can be many. One big one...What happens if your child gets sick at college? Having a sick child who is away from home can be scary, but today with COVID-19 some extra advance planning can be a... read more →

Jul 31

Scholarship Displacement – How Can Winning a Scholarship Cause You to Lose Financial Aid?

Every year, students work very hard to apply for and receive scholarships from private sources like rotary, civic, and religious groups, to name a few. These private scholarships are outside the aid students might be receiving from the colleges themselves. Parents sometimes assume the awards are in addition to the... read more →

Jul 24

The most dangerous words in college planning: “If you get in, we’ll make it work”

"If you get in, we'll make it work." These 8 words are by far the most dangerous words in college planning. We hear from parents who have told their children this all the time. Suddenly, they find themselves faced with staggering college costs that they had not anticipated, and they... read more →

Jul 17

Going to Graduate School: Is it a good idea? How do you pay for it?

Every year, college graduates leave their home of the past four or five years and consider the road ahead of them. Most start their careers, but some consider continuing their studies and embarking on graduate school. This year, we are faced with a new dilemma--the job market is suffering. Many... read more →