Paying for College
Navigating Student Loan Changes
College Inside Track’s Chris Wills was featured on WCCO Talking Points with Esme Murphy discussing the changing rules with student loans 0:00 Navigating changing rules for student loans 1:06 Collecting on defaulted student loan payments 2:24 What is a federal direct student loan? 3:10 Cautioning against parent-plus loans 4:03 Future of Biden’s…
Read MoreFederal Student Loan Collections Resume
For the first time since March 2020, the Department of Education will be collecting on defaulted student loans beginning on May 5, 2025. The office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will encourage borrowers to begin making monthly payments, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or pursue loan rehabilitation. The FSA is also restarting…
Read MoreGuidelines for student loan repayment
By Cozy Wittman, As the price of college continues to climb, for many, loans will need to be part of the larger strategy to pay for school. How to pay those back should be an important part of the discussion when the student takes out the loans. Guidelines for debt payback can help a…
Read MoreFAFSA change for small business owners
Add small business owners to the group of people impacted by the recent FAFSA changes. Previously, the value of any privately held business, including assets, with less than 100 employees did not need to be reported on the FAFSA as part of its small business exclusion. However, that exclusion has gone away as part…
Read MoreTips on the 6 trickiest FAFSA questions
The FAFSA is a quintessential government form, meaning it isn’t always as easy to understand as it should be. Far too many families make mistakes that are unnecessarily costing them money. Check out the following tips on how to tackle the 6 trickiest questions: Schooling of parents The answer should be the last level…
Read MoreStudent 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…
Read More2025-26 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 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 MoreCIT Merit Money Expert Suzy Fallon Q + A: What Every Family Should Do Right Now to Maximize Offers
CIT consultant and merit aid specialist Suzy Fallon Q + A: The hands-down best source of merit scholarships, the long arc of the merit scholarship process during the application year, and what every family must do right now to maximize merit offers ————————————————————————— Q: Families are as concerned as they ever have been about paying…
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…
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