Insider Tips for the week of May 4, 2020

   3 new paying for college strategies in the COVID-19 world – COVID-19 has massively disrupted the college planning process, which has created new opportunities for families to potentially reduce their cost. Check out 3 new college financial planning strategies to consider (as always, please consult with a financial professional to determine if any are…

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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…

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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…

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Insider tips for the week of Nov. 4, 2019

Student Loans from A to Z – Trying to figure out the borrowing side of college? Road2College.com has a nice summary of student loans and pros and cons of each type. One important message: Students should always max out federal loans before looking into private loans, but you must fill out the FAFSA to qualify…

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Costs Of College: What Parents Should Consider While Looking At Schools

College Inside Track’s Cozy Wittman was featured on WCCO TV discussing a financial framework for how families should think about their college search. Cozy emphasized narrowing visits down to schools with the right academic rigor, social environment and price point. She says she often consults with families who haven’t put much thought into paying for…

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Federal student loan interest rates drop for 2019-2020 school year

There is finally some good news for a change when it comes to college costs. For the first time in three years, interest rates on federal student loans will drop for new borrowers for new loans made on or after July 1, 2019. Rates dropped over a half a percent from the previous year. New…

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Why is my EFC going up?

Talk about a double whammy! Despite the rising cost of college, families are at the same time seeing an increase in their EFC (expected family contribution), which is what they are expected to contribute before any financial aid kicks in. In other words, a family with the exact same income and assets today as one…

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The 5 Myths of College Costs

  How many purchases in life would you spend hours or even days on without knowing the cost? Imagine looking at homes or vehicles and obsessing over their details to find the right one, only to then be told the seller would get back to you on the price that they were customizing only to…

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