Due to the rising costs of higher education, more and more Americans are turning to student loans. In fact, student loan debt has tripled over the past fifteen years—climbing to almost $1.7 trillion dollars in 2023. This staggering number has sparked many philosophical and economic debates. But for…
Being a parent is one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs out there. Children require love, time, patience –– not to mention a lot of financial resources. And that’s especially true as the cost of college has risen by an average of 78% over the past twenty years. If…
Now that you’ve completed your FAFSA® and received your financial aid offer, you might feel a little disappointed. Maybe the school you had your heart set on has only offered you a little bit of aid. Or maybe there’s a small but significant gap between your cost of attendance and…
Even if you’re proud of your child for getting into college, you might not be thrilled about the idea of paying for it. Understandably, some parents feel guilty about not wanting to foot the bill for their kid’s bachelor’s degree. And while many parents help their child pay for school…
If you’re not sure how to pay for college without going into debt, you’re not alone. Today, the average American takes on $37,574 in student loans in pursuit of an undergraduate degree. That’s a serious chunk of money, and it can take a long time to pay back. According…
Receiving your financial aid award letter can be an exciting time when you’re prepping for college. You can see how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive per college you’re accepted to. But it can also be confusing – what do the numbers mean? What is the financial aid award…
Increasingly, the “9-to-5” doesn’t represent the landscape of American jobs. Over 10% of the American working population is self-employed, and 16% report working on some sort of freelance or online gig job. But these “unusual” job setups can make it complicated to…
Filling out the FAFSA® is probably the single most important thing a college-bound student can do to pay for college. It opens up a whole slew of student financial aid, both governmental and institutional, worth $15,000 per year (on average). That’s $60,000 for a four-year degree! This is particularly…
Our team knows the FAFSA®–and the common mistakes made on it. Over the last 3 years, we’ve helped thousands of students fill out the form (using our FAFSA® Made Easier), and walked countless confused parents through how to correctly report their complicated home/financial situation. Here are the…
If you see any kind of federal student loan (Direct, Stafford, or PLUS) listed in your college’s financial aid award package/letter, then you might be wondering: What are they? How do they work? We break it all down for you here. Jump ahead to:What are federal student…
The average college graduate comes away with a degree–and $29,000 of student loan debt, requiring an average monthly loan payment of $393. That ends up being a really high percentage of new graduates’ salaries, so perhaps it’s no surprise that, in 2018,…
So you’re applying for a scholarship that asks you about your financial need. What do you say? How honest or specific should you be? What is TMI? In this article, we break down how to pen an awesome financial need scholarship essay or statement. Jump to:What to include in…
About one-third of college-bound high school seniors don’t fill out the FAFSA–and therefore miss out on an average of $14,000 per year in financial aid. Even more students don’t fill out their state financial aid forms–despite states granting students an average of $1000 in additional financial aid. Maybe it’s…
You’ve received your college acceptance letters – but your financial aid award wasn’t enough. Maybe that’s because your top-choice school has offered you less aid than other schools, or because your financial circumstances have recently changed. Don’t worry – your aid offer is not necessarily final. You can write…
Participating in part-time work-study jobs while at college is a great way to fund your tuition bill or pay for textbooks– all while practicing valuable skills and gaining solid work experience. But what IS a work-study job anyway? How is the federal government involved? What kind of jobs are there? How…
Figuring out how to pay for college is often the most difficult part of the application process. Just as the need for a college education is rising, the cost of tuition is skyrocketing. Between 2003 and 2013 alone, the cost of tuition rose by 79% above inflation. Since 1982,…
Every year, college students all over the country complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, also known as the FAFSA. The FAFSA determines student eligibility for federal loans, grants, and work-study as well as financial aid at their colleges and universities of…
With the cost of colleges and universities rising each year, it might feel like the price of furthering your education is getting out of control. In fact, between 1988 and 2017, the cost of attending a public university increased by 213% and the cost of a private one…
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