Paying for College
1 MIN VIDEO: Strategic Thinking About Loans, Beyond the Federal Loan
What if the Federal Loan isn’t enough for your student? Strategic thinking about loan options beyond the federal loan — with important cautions for parents — from College Inside Track Manager of Education and Partnerships Cozy Wittman. An additional resource from CIT President Chris Wills: Four Last Chance Financial Aid Strategies For Parents
Read MoreU of Minnesota To Offer Free Tuition to Lower Income Residents
University of Minnesota regents in February approved a free tuition plan for students of families learning less that 50k per year. The offer applies to student who will study at the flagship campus in Minneapolis (where tuition will run approximately 15k per year), along with the University’s campuses in Crookston, Duluth, Morris, and Rochester. …
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of March 1, 2021
Huge change for grandparents contributing to college – The FAFSA changes included in the December COVID relief bill contain a HUGE one for grandparents: Cash contributions from grandparents, including distributions from grandparent-owned 529 plans, will no longer hurt a student’s eligibility for financial aid. Check out our article on this significant news. How…
Read MoreInsider Tips for the week of February 1, 2021
I’m worried my child won’t get into a good college – The Atlantic’s Lori Gottlieb writes an important piece about how we as parents help our children address disappointment in the college process, but more importantly, in life. From the moment kids are born, they take their cues from the adults around them about…
Read More4 last-chance financial aid strategies for parents
Now that the FAFSA uses tax return information from two years before a student’s high school graduation year, families of current HS juniors (2022 grads) will use tax information from 2020 when they complete their first FAFSA in the 2021-2022 school year. This is a huge deal because whatever those families are doing (or not…
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of December 7, 2020
Liar, Liar, Pants on Fire – In our new “Liar Liar Pants on Fire” series, College Inside Track consultants debunk some of the claims we’re hearing about college admissions. We would love to address some that YOU’RE hearing, too! Tell us yours in the Comments section. We will respond with specific and factual info,…
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of November 2, 2020
A simple way to start the college conversation with your teen – Bestselling author Jacques Steinberg and Eric Furda, dean of admissions at UPenn, have developed a practical exercise for parents and students to undertake together. They recommend using simple index cards to begin the process of looking inward at the specific attributes of…
Read MoreTop strategies to help grandchildren with college
With the holiday season approaching, there is a terrific way grandparents may want to consider spoiling their grandchildren. Today’s retirees have accumulated wealth at unprecedented levels and combined with the rising cost of college, many now are taking advantage of an opportunity to provide a legacy of education to their grandchildren. However, without understanding the proper…
Read MoreCoronavirus College Resources For Families
The already complicated college process just became more challenging for families in the wake of COVID-19. Campus visits are cancelled, ACT test dates are postponed and more changes every day. How does a family conduct a search and choose a college in this new environment? College Inside Track is here to help and below is…
Read MoreInsider tips for the week of October 5, 2020
Expert tips on getting the most scholarships – Suzy Fallon from College Inside Track shares the secret sauce for how families can maximize scholarship dollars. Key takeaway: Each college has its own financial aid philosophy and you want to find those that match with your student’s profile. Take a few minutes to read this…
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