Paying for College
Jay Benanav Q and A: Financial Aid Issues for 2023 HS Graduates
College Inside Track founder and nationally recognized college admissions financial aid expert Jay Benanav discusses some of the most salient college financial aid issues relative to the 2022-2023 application cycle Q: Jay, what is new and reportable in the 2022 landscape of financial aid? What have we learned in the last application cycle? Even…
Read MoreCozy Wittman on Wicked Pissah Podcast: Financial Strategies Driving the College Search
Cozy Wittman, Wicked Pissah Podcast, Episode 118 College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman offers a really fun, comprehensive discussion around the college search. With strong advice for financial advisers, the podcast speaks to all listeners with a stake in the college search. When should families begin thinking about the college search? When should the scholarship…
Read MoreCongratulations Class of 2022!
Class of 2022, by the numbers. Congratulations to all of our 2022 clients!
Read MoreScholarship reduction – The dirty little college secret
Would you ever consider a scenario where the scholarships your student won actually resulted in a scholarship reduction elsewhere? One of the students we work with, whom we’ll call Caitlyn, was a dream that every parent (and counselor) hopes for: kind, bright, studious and incredibly engaged in the college process. In addition to having nearly…
Read More5 Nuggets of College Planning Wisdom
1 Choose a college that is a fit academically, socially AND financially. And a financial fit inherently means that neither the student nor the parents are over-borrowing (see #2). 2 Borrow an amount no greater than the average first-year salary in your chosen field. If total student loan debt is less than your starting salary,…
Read MoreThe Parent Plus Loan: Pros, Cons, and Sneaky Financial Aid Offers
Check out this short video on the Parent Plus Loan, where CIT’s Cozy Wittman lays out the pros, cons, and some caveats related to this loan. Parents: carefully examine how your college leverages the loan in your financial aid offer! What are the real numbers? If the Parent Plus Loan sits about 2.5 to…
Read More“When Should You Engage a College Admissions Consultant?” CIT’s Cozy Wittman with The College Financial Lady
CIT’s Cozy Wittman interview: “When Should You Engage A College Admissions Consultant?” When does starting early with a college admissions consultant make sense? For certain groups of students, in the land of college admissions the early bird most reliably catches the worm! An early start may be especially beneficial in terms of both ease of…
Read MoreFAFSA 101 with CIT’s Cozy Wittman: The Weekly Wealth Podcast April 6
FAFSFA 101 with Cozy Wittman on The Weekly Wealth Podcast: Listen Now! In this April 6 broadcast, CIT’s Cozy Wittman speaks with David Chudyk on FAFSA-related topics. College planning, college selection, college funding, and even the decision TO go to college can impact the financial lives of students and parents for decades. In this episode, Cozy…
Read More5 things every family should know about their expected family contribution (EFC)
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…
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of February 28, 2022
Types of loans available – Fred Amrein provides a good summary of the various loans that may be offered to families as part of a college’s financial aid package. Key learning: The Direct Federal Loan is the only one entirely owed by the student and is limited to a total of $31,000 over all…
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