Paying for College

You fill out the FAFSA, which gives you your expected family contribution (EFC), which is how much your family will pay for college. Seems simple right? Ah, but like most things with the college process, that is unfortunately not the case. Here are 5 things every family should know about that EFC. 1 Your EFC…

College’s hidden costs: What the admissions office won’t tell you – The father of a college freshman shares with the Washington Post costs families incur beyond tuition, room and board. He admits they thought they thought they knew what the costs would be but were “dead wrong.” An important read for all parents. 4 questions…

11 ways parents can help their child think through the college decision – Grown and Flown has a thoughtful piece on how the college decision is one of the greatest teaching moments in your child’s life Will your child be safe at college? Colleges are required by the government to report on numerous campus safety…

How to explain student loans and debt to your child – The idea of debt is often unfathomable to a teenager because they’ve likely never dealt with large sums of money and repayment happens in the unknown of the future, (which of course will turn out great). Road2College shares practical tips for how to help…

How to help your teen be college-ready – Being admitted to college doesn’t mean a student is ready for it. Check out this important read from the New York Times, which explains how parents can encourage kids to step up their levels of personal responsibility while still in high school. 5 people worth talking to…

There is finally some good news for a change when it comes to college costs. For the first time in three years, interest rates on federal student loans will drop for new borrowers for new loans made on or after July 1, 2019. Rates dropped over a half a percent from the previous year. New…

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…

How to help your teen be college-ready – Being admitted to college doesn’t mean a student is ready for it. Check out this important read from the New York Times, which explains how parents can encourage kids to step up their levels of personal responsibility while still in high school. Top 5 mistakes in making…

1 $31,000 is the maximum amount dependent undergrad students can borrow in federal direct student loans. Annual limits are: $5,500 in year 1 $6,500 in year 2 and $7,500 each subsequent year until the $31,000 overall limit is reached 2 You must complete the FAFSA to access the Federal Direct Student Loans and the Parent…

There is a FAFSA issue that has been tripping up families with qualified retirement savings rollovers that can result in wildly inflated EFC’s (expected family contributions), thus reducing the amount of financial aid they qualify for. Retirement savings moved from one qualified retirement plan to another qualified plan should not be reported as untaxed income…

5 things every family should know about their expected family contribution (EFC)

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Beware – Retirement savings rollover issue on FAFSA