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Insider tips for the week of August 2, 2021
3 college statistics to know if you want to pay less – Many families only look at college statistics in terms of getting into college, when they are just as important in determining how much they pay for college. DIY College Rankings covers three big ones to understand. 5 best essays – The…
Insider tips for the week of June 28, 2021
FAFSA changes delayed – The significant FAFSA changes recently approved by Congress will be delayed by year, due to the complexity of overhauling the entire system. Federal Student Aid (FSA), the agency in charge of implementing the changes, said they will now be rolled out for the 2024-25 school year. The earliest families can…
FAFSA change for families with multiple students
At first glance, the recent changes to the FAFSA appear to be a good thing: A simpler form with far fewer questions, increased financial aid eligibility for low income families, and a formula change reducing any penalty for grandparents who contribute to college. But another formula change could prove to be extremely painful to…
Filling out the FAFSA when there are divorced parents
Completing the FAFSA when parents are divorced is one of the most confusing scenarios for families, because custodial terms and who claims the child on the tax return do not necessarily apply. Further complicating things is that the rules for divorced parents are changing along with a number of other key FAFSA changes starting with…
Podcast: Navigating Student Loans
College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was a guest on the “Your Life, Simplified” podcast sharing her wisdom on navigating student loans. Getting accepted into the school of your dreams can be stressful enough, but then you have to think about how — and who — is going to pay for it. Cozy shares best practices…
Podcast: College Planning – Going Beyond the Dollar Signs
College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was a guest on the “Your Life, Simplified” podcast sharing her insight on college planning. Cozy goes beyond loans and scholarships for an in-depth discussion on considerations you may not be thinking about. Listen to the podcast here
ACT canceled – What am I supposed to do?
Your high school student wants to apply to Flagship U, which despite the growing list of test optional colleges and universities, still requires the ACT. She was registered for an earlier test, but a global pandemic rudely interrupted our lives and the ACT got canceled. Okay, you thought, we’ll just sign up for the June…
2021 CIT Graduate Scholarship Report
Congratulations to our 2021 grads and their families! The amazing total of scholarships received for our 2021 graduates is … drum roll … Would you like to learn more about the philosophy and strategies College Inside Track consultants use, to facilate strong merit aid offers for clients? Read here: CIT Merit Money Expert…
Insider tips for the week of May 31, 2021
College magic – Forbes has an excellent article on how college, if done right, can be a life-altering experience with lifelong benefits. Not enough students experience the most important elements of college, what researchers call the “Big Six.” The elements fall into two categories of relationship-rich and work-integrated. This is an important read as…
Insider Tips for the week of May 3, 2021
3 things to do now for strong HS recommendation letters – Students have experienced online learning and cancelled or shortened extracurricular activities as a function of the pandemic. Many report that they hardly know the teachers who have taught them this year, and worry that their core teachers don’t know enough about them to…