When you apply to college, admission officers look at more than just your grades — they also take note of what you have done outside the classroom. Your extracurricular activities, such as jobs, sports, clubs and volunteer work, give colleges a better sense of who you are and show them what you can bring to their campus community. Remember that college folder you were supposed to be collecting throughout high school? The one stuffed with … [Read more...]
Parent Quiz: Are You Financially Prepared for College?
Students are going back to school and parents are again thinking about the future. Between AP classes, sports, extracurricular activities, and community service kids, these days are very busy. Parents are also worried about how to pay for all of those things plus the upcoming college costs. Are you preparing your family correctly? Take this quiz to see! 1. Have you set up a 529 or college savings plan? 2. Have you calculated the future college … [Read more...]
How to File the FAFSA
8 Steps to Filling Out the FAFSA Form Need to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form but don’t know where to start? I’m here to help. Let’s walk through the process step by step. 1. Create an account (FSA ID). Student: An FSA ID is a username and password you need to sign the FAFSA form online. If you don’t have an FSA ID, get an FSA ID here. It takes about 10 minutes to create an FSA ID. If this will be your … [Read more...]
Rising “Hidden Costs” for College
More and more Americans are going to college. According to data from the Department of Education National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), in 1980, 50% of high school graduates between the ages of 16 and 24 were enrolled in college; in 2016, it was 70%. In 2016, 19.3 million undergraduate students were enrolled in higher education institutions. 70% were enrolled at public schools, 23% at private non-profits schools and 7% at private … [Read more...]
Can my ACT score get me a scholarship?
Guest post by: David Recine, Magoosh The link between ACT scores and getting accepted into school is obvious. Meet a school’s expectations, and you’ll get in. But what about the connection between ACT scores and paying for school once you’re accepted? That is never quite so obvious. Today, we’re going to take a closer look at how your ACT score can translate into money in your pocket… or at least, money applied to your tuition bill. Which … [Read more...]
10 Most Important College Financial Aid Terms
Your college education is an extremely important and expensive investment. Before you shell out thousands of dollars for an advanced education, you need to give yourself a basic education in the financial aid process. Navigating the college financial aid process can be hard enough even for the most highly educated people. So to help, I’ve put together a quick reference guide on the 12 most common financial aid terms used. 1. FAFSA (Free … [Read more...]
How High School Courses Impact SAT Scores
Every year, high school juniors and seniors take the SAT. More than 1 million students annually across the nation participate and many take it more than once. Many students have been preparing for months after realizing how important high SAT scores are in college admissions and scholarship awards. Others don’t prepare or study much, many believing that it’s an ‘intelligence test’ and can’t be studied for, or that they want to just see how well … [Read more...]
What You Will Actually Pay at Texas Colleges
There are two prices for every college degree: the sticker price and the net price. The sticker price is the number that most schools list in their brochures. The net price is that very same number less scholarships, grants and financial aid. It is what you actually pay. For an incoming freshman, this net price is the number that matters the most, and until recently, it was also the number that we knew the least about. This month, the … [Read more...]
3 Steps To Take Before the End of 2015 for FAFSA
Applying for financial aid will soon be less of a headache for college students and their families. Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)—used to determine financial aid from the government as well as colleges—can be filed three months earlier, or as early as October 1, nearly a year before a student would start classes the following fall. This change in timing will allow completed tax … [Read more...]
Dept of Ed Announces Change Simplifying Application for Federal Financial Aid
Two weeks ago, President Obama announced a significant policy shift that will help low-income students access college financial aid by making the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) simpler to complete. This key administrative change will allow applicants to complete the FAFSA using income tax data from two years prior to the current year. This change is a major win for students, significantly simplifying the aid application … [Read more...]
