Posts by Chris Wills
College Planning Changes for Grandparents
Contributing to college has become more attractive for grandparents after a number of significant changes to how grandparent contributions are treated on the FAFSA. According to financial aid expert Mark Kantrowitz, cash contributions from grandparents, including distributions from grandparent-owned 529 plans and direct tuition payments to colleges, will no longer hurt a student’s eligibility…
Read MoreMajor changes to the college process in 2024
This past year has resulted in some of the most significant changes to the college planning process in decades. Admission trends have changed how colleges admit students, there are substantial changes to the FAFSA and college financial aid that may make college more expensive for middle class and affluent families, but also provide attractive…
Read MoreStrategies to Save for College
College Inside Track President Chris Wills was a featured guest on the KARE 11 Your Money show, discussing the recent FAFSA changes. Jump to the 6:55 mark to see the interview (there will be a commercial break at the 7:30 mark and the interview resumes after).
Read MoreFAFSA delays cause anxiety for students and parents
College Inside Track was featured on WCCO TV discussing the announcement that student FAFSA information will not be sent to colleges until mid-March. In the WCCO interview, CIT’s Chris Wills explained a move to make the FAFSA better this year led to a major error that could have cost students more. Correcting that error is…
Read MoreFAFSA forms delayed, here’s how it could impact students
College Inside Track was featured on KARE 11 TV discussing the announcement that student FAFSA information will not be sent to colleges until mid-March. In the KARE 11 interview, CIT’s Chris Wills explained the Department of Education decided to fix an error in its system, which he says is good for students and families because…
Read MoreFAFSA mistake will be fixed but data further delayed
The huge mistake on the new, redesigned FAFSA will be fixed, according to the Department of Education, but colleges won’t receive any student FAFSA information until sometime in March. The new FAFSA that launched at the end of 2023 has a calculation error that would have resulted in most families qualifying for less financial…
Read MoreNew FAFSA live
The updated FAFSA form for students attending college in Fall 2024 is now live, although this is during a “soft launch” period where the website may intermittently be down for updates. If families submit the form during this time, their information will be saved and provided to colleges in late January. If the new…
Read MoreStudent Aid Index (SAI) – 5 things to know
You fill out the FAFSA, which gives you your Student Aid Index (SAI), which is how much your family will pay for college. Seems simple right? Ah, but like most things with the college process, that is unfortunately not the case. Here are 5 things every family should know about that SAI. 1…
Read MoreFAFSA error means less financial aid for families
The new, redesigned FAFSA that will launch by the end of 2023 has a calculation error that will result in most families qualifying for less financial aid than lawmakers intended. The legislation that drove the FAFSA overhaul called for an increase to the amount of income that was shielded from the FAFSA calculation, otherwise…
Read MoreMusic Admissions 101
College Inside Track’s Dr. Heather McCowen was a featured panelist at a Chicago Youth Symphony Orchestra workshop on everything families need to know about the music admissions process. Click here to watch the workshop
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