Posts Tagged ‘financial aid’
Major 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 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 MoreInsider Tips for the week of June 5, 2023
4 mistakes families make that increase the cost of college – College Inside Track President Chris Wills says it is often the decisions that families themselves make that cause them to unnecessarily pay more for college than they should (and potentially increase student debt). A short read and good conversation starter within your household. Wellness…
Read More3 ways families can lose financial aid
As if it isn’t hard enough to finance college, many families overlook the strings attached to maintain and not lose the financial aid they received freshman year. It’s easy to see how this happens. Families are grateful for any financial aid they get and simply assume it will be the same every year. But there…
Read More3 things to consider before making your college decision
May 1 is National College Decision Day, the deadline for students to make deposits to attend the college of their choice. But before you send in that check, here are three important things to consider: 1. Affordability is part of fit Many students choose their college based on academic and social fit…
Read MoreUnderstanding the College Financial Aid Award Letter
College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was featured in the Journal of Financial Planning, discussing ways to create transparency for families in the college funding process and better understanding the college financial aid award letter. Cozy explains in detail the college financial aid award letter, tips after receiving it, elements of good and bad letters…
Read MoreWhat’s in a Name? Names and College Documents
This article is written by Heather McCowen, Ph.D., CIT Consultant. There are many reasons why students may not have all their naming ducks in a row. While working in both public schools and in independent consulting, I’ve encountered countless situations in which the sort of name issues have arisen that can cause the college admissions…
Read MoreFAFSA changes for financial advisors
Check out the following video from College Inside Track President Chris Wills providing a helpful overview of the new changes to the FAFSA that financial advisors need to know about, as they will require new planning strategies for many clients
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of August 8, 2022
Important financial aid info – College Inside Track’s Jay Benanav provides answers to important financial aid questions. Take a few minutes to read his advice. Test optional update – CIT Consultant Tiffany Kolb discusses what families need to know now about the test optional path in college admissions: Important takeaways from the most recent application…
Read MoreScholarship reduction – The dirty little college secret
Would you ever consider a scenario where the scholarships your student won actually resulted in a scholarship reduction elsewhere? One of the students we work with, whom we’ll call Caitlyn, was a dream that every parent (and counselor) hopes for: kind, bright, studious and incredibly engaged in the college process. In addition to having nearly…
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