Insider tips for the week of March 1, 2021

Huge change for grandparents contributing to college – The FAFSA changes included in the December COVID relief bill contain a HUGE one for grandparents: Cash contributions from grandparents, including distributions from grandparent-owned 529 plans, will no longer hurt a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Check out our article on this significant news.

How many AP classes should my child take? – Many families struggle with this decision, wondering if not taking AP or IB classes will hurt their chances of getting into certain colleges, while also being worried about their child being overwhelmed. Check out the advice from College Inside Track’s Susan Whalen.

Finding tax scholarships – With the tax season upon us, don’t overlook the dollars that can be saved by the various education tax credits.  PayforEd provides a guide to the educational tax credits which can save you money.  They refer to them as tax scholarships since it is free money. Take a few minutes to learn more about the American Opportunity Credit, Lifetime Learning Credit, and proper use of 529 Plans.

Teens don’t use email, colleges do — that’s a problem during college admissions season – The Chicago Tribune highlights a really important issue that can cause families to miss opportunities during college admissions season, including deadlines, scholarships and other key info. A must read for your HS student.