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Insider Tips for the week of August 2, 2025
Big Beautiful Bill expands 529 Plans – The Big Beautiful Bill expanded the uses of 529 Plans and continues the policy trend of making them easier and more attractive to use. Check out all the new ways they can be used. Is college worth it? That’s the wrong question – Preston Cooper writes that instead of asking if…
Student Loan Borrowing Limit Changes from the new budget bill
The new budget bill has overhauled ways students and parents borrow for college. Here is a summary of the many student loan borrowing limit changes. New student loan borrowing limits for federal loans go into effect July 1, 2026. Note that the student loan changes below only apply to federal loans from the government,…
New budget bill expands 529 Plans
The new budget bill expanded the uses of 529 Plans. This continues the policy trend of making them easier and more attractive to use. 529 Plans are investment accounts funded by after-tax dollars where the earnings grow tax-free and withdrawals for qualified education expenses are also tax-free. Withdrawals for non-qualified expenses are taxed as…
Insider Tips for the week of July 12, 2025
New student loan rates – The Dept of Education announced the updated student loan rates for the 2025-26 school year, which go into effect on July 1. Undergraduate Direct Loans: 6.39% Graduate Direct Loans: 7.94% Parent PLUS Loans: 8.94% Crazy New Wrinkle to College Admissions – Jeff Selingo explains a new phenomenon of last-minute deal making, resulting from the…
Insider Tips for the week of June 7, 2025
Student loan changes – CIT’s Chris Wills was featured on WCCO Talking Points discussing the potential changes to student loans. 10 essential skills for college success – CIT’s transition to college expert, Paige Feldman, explores the skills students need to thrive in college. If your student could benefit from more personalized support while in college, CIT now offers a College…
Navigating Student Loan Changes
College Inside Track’s Chris Wills was featured on WCCO Talking Points with Esme Murphy discussing the changing rules with student loans 0:00 Navigating changing rules for student loans 1:06 Collecting on defaulted student loan payments 2:24 What is a federal direct student loan? 3:10 Cautioning against parent-plus loans 4:03 Future of Biden’s…
Insider Tips for the week of May 10, 2025
Does a college acceptance rate matter? – Students and parents often fixate on the admission rate for a college as an indicator of the school’s education quality. But does the admission rate really matter? Finding meaningful summer activities – Summer is a golden opportunity for students to contribute to the story of who they are, what they value,…
Federal Student Loan Collections Resume
For the first time since March 2020, the Department of Education will be collecting on defaulted student loans beginning on May 5, 2025. The office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) will encourage borrowers to begin making monthly payments, enroll in an income-driven repayment plan, or pursue loan rehabilitation. The FSA is also restarting…
Insider Tips for the week of April 5, 2025
Are summer programs worth it? – You are likely receiving marketing materials for summer programs from colleges and wondering, “Are these worth it?” and, “Will this increase our student’s chances of admission?” There are several benefits to summer programs, but certainly no guarantees. Let’s dig deeper into the pros and cons. How to find what you want…