Posts by Chris Wills
2025-26 FAFSA delayed
Another year, another FAFSA delay. The FAFSA form for students entering college in Fall 2025 would normally open on Oct. 1, but will instead be rolled out in phases and be fully available by December 1. The FAFSA will only be initially be available for testing with a limited number of students and institutions.…
Read MoreCollege is not a costume party
Heading into application season, we liked the following advice from MIT admissions: “Some students feel so much pressure to get into the “right” college that they want to make sure they do everything right—down to their extracurricular activities. Fortunately, the only right answer is to do what’s right for you—not what you think is…
Read MoreCollege Inside Track featured in Barron’s
College Inside Track was featured in Barron’s magazine and interviewed by editor-in-chief Greg Bartalos after Cozy Wittman was a featured speaker at the Barron’s Team Summit in Las Vegas. Check out “Mastering the Brutal College Planning Process.”
Read MoreCollege 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…
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