Paying for College
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…
Read MoreFAFSA changes
The COVID relief bill passed at the end of 2020 also included some significant changes to the FAFSA. While the changes do not go into effect until the 2024-25 school year, that year’s FAFSA will use tax information from 2022, so there are nearer-term considerations. And because the FAFSA is completed each year a…
Read MoreCollege Planning Changes for Grandparents
The stimulus bill passed at the end of 2020 also included some 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 for…
Read MoreFAFSA 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…
Read More4 guidelines for taking on student loan debt
Identify the average starting salary for the field the student is planning to go into, and the family should not have any more than that number in total education loans. Considering a school that would leave you with $35,000 debt for an undergraduate electrical engineering degree? That would pass the test for an acceptable amount…
Read More2021 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…
Read MoreInsider 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…
Read MoreInsider 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…
Read MoreCIT’s Cozy Wittman Talks Scholarships with The Weekly Wealth Podcast
College Inside Track’s Manager of Education and Partnerships, Cozy Wittman, was featured recently on The Weekly Wealth Podcast. Cozy discussed planning for financial aid and scholarships with David Chudyk, Financial Advisor at Parallel Financial. Topics include: misperceptions around scholarships (including best and worse strategies for good money), the biggest providers of strong scholarships, how colleges…
Read MoreMeet Kyla Sykes, Bound for Nursing at Luther College
Christy Sykes, mom of future pediatric nurse Kyla, encourages all families with first generation college students to assertively pursue the college search. “Most definitely seek out and find what is available,” she say. “You have nothing to lose! We were so surprised by what she actually could receive in the way of support and financial…
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