Jan 10

Action Plan for College: Junior Year

Junior year...students can start to see the finish line of high school. They are actively thinking about their next steps--college, career, or maybe military? Things have become REAL! It is the last full year that colleges will have complete grades to evaluate in the student’s application. Parents can start to... read more →

Jan 10

Cosigning for Student Loans

Should a parent cosign for a private student loan? When talking about paying for college, student loans almost always need to be a part of the conversation. Not too many of us can afford $25,000 (or more!) every year to pay for college out of our pockets or our savings.... read more →

Jan 04

How New Parents Can Save For College

You just had a baby! Congratulations!! You are starting on an amazing journey that will change your life. After the bliss where’s off a bit, parents realize a universal truth... children are expensive! For a middle-income family to raise a child born in 2015 through the age of 17, the... read more →

Dec 12

Student’s Spending Habits

Parents of new college freshmen probably will have this situation at some point mid to late in the first semester: ”Mom, I have run out of money. I need more money.” Whether their child has spent too much at Starbucks or ran into unexpected costs they didn’t anticipate, making a... read more →

Nov 29

Paying for College Abroad

Attending college in a foreign country will appeal to many college-bound students. The architecture, the history, and the learning experience of traveling is priceless. Should families hesitate and discourage studying abroad? Not necessarily! Families can find it relatively easy to pay for college in a foreign country for their student.... read more →

Nov 20

How to Find Financial Aid

Paying for College: How does your high school help? Does your high school have a financial aid night? A financial aid meeting can look very different from school to school, but often the primary message is for the parents of juniors or seniors who are nearing the end of their... read more →

Nov 08

How to Make Changes to the FAFSA

You have clicked submit on your FAFSA! Congratulations for completing this sometimes onerous task. But wait...you’re not done yet?! Sometimes changes happen that need correction. What if a student gets married or pregnant? What if a student is applying to more than 10 colleges? Don’t worry. Making changes to the... read more →

Nov 01

Paying Off Student Loans

The majority of college students today will need to include student loans in the big “paying for college” picture. Hopefully, loans are a small piece of a puzzle which includes scholarships, aid, savings, tax planning, and cash flow. After graduation years down the road, the graduate may find themselves in... read more →

Oct 16

Finding Money for College

We hear the question all the time. “Where can I find scholarships for my child?” We will direct them to a few sources like their guidance counselor, online searches (like Fastweb.com, scholarships.com, Scholarship America, bigfuture.collegeboard.org, Cappex.com), or various local foundations. While private scholarships are great and students should explore these... read more →

Oct 10

Do Federal Reserve rates affect student loans?

In September 2018, the Federal Reserve increased the federal funds rate by 0.25%. That change can have an impact on student loan interest rates. If you are in the middle of taking out student loans, you may be wondering how changes in Federal Reserve rates affect them and if interest... read more →