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teacher explaining student aid index to students

Student Aid Index eligibility guide for 2025-26

  The new FAFSA for the 2025-26 school year is scheduled to open on Dec. 1, 2024, (delayed from Oct. 1), and the Department of Education has provided this guide on the formula. The guide both explains the formula for the Student Aid Index (SAI), as well as eligibility for Pell Grants. The SAI number…

Insider Tips for the week of October 12, 2024

New ACT changes – Following the lead of the recent SAT changes, ACT announced new changes going into effect starting in April 2025. Check out a summary of what’s new here. How AI is changing the college admissions process – Some colleges receive tens of thousands of applications every year and are looking for a faster way to…

student taking ACT test

New ACT changes

  Following the lead of the recent SAT changes, ACT announced new changes going into effect starting in April 2025. The changes will first only apply to national online test dates in April 2025, then will be rolled out to hard copy tests in September 2025, and finally school-day tests in Spring 2026. Here’s a…

KARE 11 TV logo

Tuition resets and how colleges price themselves

  College Inside Track President Chris Wills was featured on KARE 11 TV discussing Bethel University’s tuition reset and how colleges price themselves. Some, like Bethel, are choosing to abandon the high sticker price, high financial aid, model that has caused confusion amongst families who have no idea what college will actually cost. Wills explains…

FAFSA delayed

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.…

Insider Tips for the week of September 14, 2024

FAFSA delayed – 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. Learn more from the Dept of Ed. High school activities for prospective engineering students – Stellar grades and test scores are only part of the…

Insider Tips for the week of August 10, 2024

Alternative options to pre-med – CIT’s Tiffany Kolb shares other college options for students interested in health sciences, but who may not want to pursue a pre-med track. What is ABET accreditation and does it matter? – CIT’s Marit Lunstad explains ABET accreditation for engineering programs and what you need to know when considering schools. Campus profile: Salve Regina University –…

Insider Tips for the week of July 13, 2024

College is not a costume party – Heading into application season, we liked this advice from MIT admissions about doing what’s right for you, and not the college. Mastering the brutal college planning process – College Inside Track was recently featured in Barron’s magazine! Check out the article and related podcast on Mastering the Brutal College Planning Process. College list…

Halloween trick or treating

College 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…

Congratulations to Cora Madison, University of Kentucky Class of 2028

The college search process can be daunting. With 2800+ 4-year colleges in the US, students have many options to consider. It can get overwhelming very fast. What’s great about that, though, is that as each student starts to define what they are looking for, many options can fit the bill. Cora Madison, University of Kentucky,…