Insider tips for the week of December 4, 2017

15 things every parent needs to know – A thought-provoking list from DIY College Rankings. My two favorites are 1) You set the expectation for acceptable colleges — not the rankings, your peers or your child’s peers and 2) You shouldn’t base your expectations on another family’s experiences. Take a few minutes to scan the…

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Insider tips for the week of October 16, 2017

10 tips to get the most financial aid – Time magazine has 10 practical tips to help families get the most out of the FAFSA. Take-aways include moving money out of your child’s bank and brokerage accounts and appealing disappointing aid packages.   College fair do’s and don’ts – Check out this goofy 3 min…

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Insider tips for the week of June 5, 2017

What you don’t know about financial aid (but should) – An important 8 min. read from the NY Times. Takeaways include colleges are free to come up with their own ways of defining a family’s ability to pay, don’t check the box on the Common Application if you intend to apply for financial aid b/c…

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MSCA 2017 slide show

Click the following link to access the slide show from the 2017 Minnesota School Counselors Association Conference: CIT MSCA 2017 power point

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Insider tips for the week of Mar. 13, 2017

  College’s hidden costs: What the admissions office won’t tell you – The father of a college freshman shares with the Washington Post costs families incur beyond tuition, room and board. He admits they thought they thought they knew what the costs would be but were “dead wrong.” An important read for all parents.  …

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Earlier FAFSA Submission Date Offers Students Better Chance At Aid

WCCO logo

CIT’s Chris Wills was featured on WCCO TV sharing advice on the new October 1 FAFSA filing date. Among his suggestions: Families should file as close to the Oct. 1 date as possible because some of the financial aid is first come, first served. All families should complete the FAFSA, regardless of how much money they…

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Insider tips for the week of September 19, 2016

Below are our insider tips to help your family with the complicated college process! 8 financial aid mistakes to avoid – Road2College has a quick read jam-packed with great advice. My two favorite nuggets: Don’t wait to file financial aid forms (FAFSA is now available starting Oct. 1 of the senior year) and understand that…

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College costs even more than you thought it did

NPR has a helpful article on little-known costs of college. My two favorite takeaways: 1) Students living at home aren’t always saving money because they get less access to aid, and 2) Financial aid calculators overestimate how much parents can pay. Take a few minutes to read their 6 key findings.

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Jay on the College Checklist Podcast

In this episode of The College Checklist Podcast, Jay Benanav discusses the financial aid appeal process. Appealing financial aid something that not many families know they can do. However, it can be as simple as writing a financial aid appeal letter and asking for what you need to make that school financial feasible for your family. Of…

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