Financial Aid

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,…

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…

We’re kicking off the school year right by answering your FAFSA questions: how to apply for FAFSA, your FAFSA application, the FAFSA website, and of course the FAFSA deadlines! Grab a slice of pizza and get comfy – we’re diving in! Jump to:What is the FAFSA?What are EFC…

You’re ready to start planning in paying college tuition. But why are there two financial aid forms: the FAFSA and the CSS Profile? How do you prioritize which to fill out? What’s the process? We’re breaking down the differences between the FAFSA and the CSS Profile, from applications to deadlines,…

Did you know you can save on your college tuition bill by transferring AP credits, taking the CLEP exam, and even negotiating? Yep, and here we explain how. Read on to learn how you can spend less on your college tuition bill. Jump to:1. Take AP classes, and transfer…

Numerous calculations determine the cost of college for a student. Luckily, you don’t need to crunch any numbers, but you should understand where the numbers are coming from. Perhaps the most important number to understand is your Expected Family Contribution. Jump to:What is the EFC?…

When it comes to applying for financial aid, most schools and the federal government use the FAFSA to figure out their award packages. But some schools, around 250 to be more exact, use the CSS Profile, which was created by…