Financing College
VIDEO: CIT Founder Jay Benanav On Timing Your Financial Aid Appeal
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Read MoreUnderstanding the College Financial Aid Award Letter
College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was recently featured in the Journal of Financial Planning, discussing ways to create transparency for families in the college funding process and better understanding the college financial aid award letter. Cozy explains in detail the college financial aid award letter, tips after receiving it, elements of good and bad…
Read More1 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 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 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 MoreCollege Inside Track Alumni Newsletter – Winter 2021
FAFSA 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 2023-24 school year, that year’s FAFSA will use tax information from 2021, so there are current day considerations. And because the FAFSA is…
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 2023-24 school year, that year’s FAFSA will use tax information from 2021, so there are current day considerations. And because the FAFSA is completed each year…
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…
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