Expert Tips: Three Tips to Engage Your Teen While They Are Stuck At Home with You
By Dr. Susan Whalen, College Inside Track Consultant The news is in: high schools across the country in strong numbers have closed down for all but virtual business, for the rest of the semester. Too, many summer programs that teens were counting on to develop their interests and their college resumes are now…
Should High School Seniors Enroll in College This Fall?
The answer, like so many other college-related questions, is “It depends.” As COVID-19 continues to disrupt our lives and stay-at-home directives extend into May, speculation has been rising about how colleges are going to handle the fall semester if the pandemic…
Insider tips for the week of April 6, 2020
5 ways to evaluate a college in the COVID-19 world – Campuses are closed for visits, so how does a family evaluate a college in the new COVID-19 world? College Inside Track President Chris Wills goes beyond the normal advice and recommends 5 excellent tips. 9 important adulting skills to teach your captive…
Federal Student Loan Payments Suspended Through Sept. 30
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, the government has suspended all federal student loan payments through September 30, 2020. Here’s what you need to know: No interest will accrue on your federal student loans through Sept. 30, 2020. Your federal student loan balance doesn’t change unless you make payments, meaning…
Expert Tips: 3 ways to help your college student transition home from a campus closure
By Cozy Wittman Classical music plays in 32 or 64 counts in my dining room while I try to get some work done. I poke my head out of my office to see my dance major warming up at our railing, on the wood floors, in my dining room. Unlike so many students,…
Expert Tips: Top 5 ways to evaluate a college in the COVID-19 world
Can’t visit the colleges you are considering? Here are 5 best practices from the experts at College Inside Track: Take a virtual tour of the campus with a current student as your guide Nearly everyone is telling families to take virtual tours of colleges they are interested in, which is certainly good and…
Insider money tips for the week of February 3, 2020
Major change to 529 Plans – The SECURE Act signed at the end of last year includes a major change that now allows 529 Plan dollars to be used to pay for student loans. However, certain states need to conform their tax laws to the federal one, otherwise folks in those states may face…
Insider tips financial aid tips for the week of January 13, 2020
College savings cheat sheet – Financial aid guru Mark Kantrowitz shares some tremendous advice with Katie Couric on how parents can best approach the financial aspect of college. Among my favorites: Parents overestimate eligibility for merit aid, underestimate eligibility for need-based aid, and aren’t aware that most colleges meet financial need with loans, not…
2 valuable college planning changes in the SECURE Act
The Setting Every Community Up for Retirement (SECURE) Act signed into law at the end of 2019 includes two significant college planning changes that families need to know about. 529 Plans can now be used to repay student loans Previously, 529 Plans could be used for qualified college expenses and $10,000 annually of…
