How the 2024 FAFSA is Impacting Financial Aid Appeals

Appealing your college’s financial aid offer is a smart move. However, it’s essential to approach appeals thoughtfully to avoid overwhelming college financial aid offices. All students should consider submitting a single, well-documented, and well-reasoned appeal. Here’s how.

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Common Problems with the New FAFSA and How to Solve Them

The FAFSA® Simplification Act passed by congress required the US Department of Education to overhaul the FAFSA® form on or before December 31, 2023. This pushed back the 2024-2025 FAFSA® opening date to December 31, 2023. When the new FAFSA® finally “soft launched” on Dec. 31, families reported many issues, glitches, and confusing errors. We’ll outline the changes and what that might mean for you.

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How to Choose a Private Student Loan: 7 Factors to Consider 

The average borrower takes around 20 years to pay off student loan debt. So when you commit to a private lender, you’re entering a relationship that can span decades. Consider these seven factors to help you find the best private student loan to fit your needs.

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The Complete Guide to Filling Out the FAFSA® as a Parent  

Each year, billions of dollars in federal financial aid are left unclaimed by American families who don’t fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®). Don’t miss out on valuable financial aid dollars just because you’re not sure where to start. Regardless of your income level, completing the FAFSA® is one of the best things you can do to help your child with the college application process. Here’s how to do it as a parent.

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13 Tips for Improving Your Credit Score to Get the Best Rate on a Student Loan

To avoid too much student loan debt, it’s important to shop around for loans with lower interest rates. Federal student loans offer fixed interest rates, which are the same for every borrower for the life of the loan. Private student loan interest rates, on the other hand, are based on the borrower’s credit score. Whether you’re a cosigner, a parent, or a student looking for a private student loan, these 13 tips will help.

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How to Apply For a Student Loan (Federal and Private)

For many college students, there’s a gap between how much a degree costs and what they can afford. Once you’ve maxed out your other financial aid, you may need to explore different types of student loans. The lingo around loan applications, interest rates, credit scores, and repayment plans can be confusing –– but applying for a student loan is easier than you think.

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How to Financially Prepare Your Child for College

Financial planning and literacy are important skills for any adult to have in their toolkit – yet they’re ones that aren’t always taught in American schools. Personal finance can be complicated. Before your child goes away to school, here are some ways to equip them for financial success.

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The Pros and Cons of a 529 Plan

The more tuition costs rise, the more necessary it becomes to start saving for college as early as possible. Opening a 529 college savings plan can be a great way to afford a degree while minimizing student loan debt. If you want to help your child pursue a college degree and avoid student loans, explore the pros and cons of opening a 529 college savings plan.

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HELOC vs. Student Loan: Which Should You Use to Pay for College?

Paying for college is a complex puzzle for most families. Regardless of your personal finances, a creative approach can help lower costly tuition bills. Chances are you’ve considered federal student aid and private loans – but did you know you could tap into your home equity via a HELOC to fund your child’s education? When it comes to HELOCs vs student loans, there are some distinct differences and disadvantages. Let’s explore.

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Popular Work-Study Jobs and Where to Find Them

If you’ve been granted a federal work-study award, your part-time employment could earn you more than just a few extra dollars. For some college students, a part-time job can actually improve focus, lead to higher grades, and teach valuable life skills that can’t be learned in a classroom. These opportunities are vast — but they can be competitive. Don’t sleep on your federal work-study award. Check out these popular work-study jobs and start the application process today.

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The Pros and Cons of Parent PLUS Loans

Due to the rising costs of higher education, more and more Americans are turning to student loans. But for most families, it’s personal. You want your child to pursue their education. So how do you help? While most student loans are taken out by the student, parents can borrow on their child’s behalf. If you’d like to alleviate your child’s loan debt by taking on some yourself, you’re in the right place. Let’s explore the pros and cons of the U.S. Department of Education’s parent PLUS Loan.

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How to Help Your Child Graduate College Debt-Free: 16 Ways to Avoid Student Loan Debt

If your child hopes to pursue higher education, it’s time to have a serious conversation about financial planning. Even if they’re not a junior or senior in high school, today is a great day to start thinking about the future. While loans can be a helpful way to pay your child’s college tuition today, they can take decades to pay off. And student loan forgiveness is still in its infancy. The best way to set you and your child up for future financial success? Help them graduate from college debt-free.

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The 10-Step Guide to a Financial Aid Appeal

Now that you’ve completed your FAFSA® and received your financial aid offer, you might feel a little disappointed. Maybe the school you had your heart set on has only offered you a little bit of aid. Or maybe there’s a small but significant gap between your cost of attendance and what you’ve budgeted to pay for your degree. The good news is that your initial financial aid offer isn’t necessarily final. You can ask your school to recalculate your need with a financial aid appeal.

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What Percentage of Parents Pay for College?

Even if you’re proud of your child for getting into college, you might not be thrilled about the idea of paying for it. Understandably, some parents feel guilty about not wanting to foot the bill for their kid’s bachelor’s degree. And while many parents help their child pay for school at least partially, not all do. To help you understand what percentage of parents pay for college and why, we put together this guide. Read on for stats and tips to help you make your decision.

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How to Pay for College Without Student Loans: 22 Tips

If you’re not sure how to pay for college without going into debt, you’re not alone. The good news is that it’s possible to fund your higher education without having to take out loans in the first place. Even with the cost of tuition rising, there are more options than ever to pursue a degree without borrowing. It just takes a little bit of creativity — and a lot of careful planning — to pull it off.

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Making Sense of Your Financial Aid Award Letter: What do the numbers mean?

Receiving your financial aid award letter can be an exciting time when you’re prepping for college. You can see how much financial aid you’re eligible to receive per college you’re accepted to. But it can also be confusing – what do the numbers mean? What is the financial aid award letter, and do you need to act on it? Which college has offered you a better “deal?” We’re breaking all of this down for you.

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Completing the FAFSA® for self-employed or small business owners

Increasingly, the “9-to-5” doesn’t represent the landscape of American jobs. Over 10% of the American working population is self-employed, and 16% report working on some sort of freelance or online gig job. But these “unusual” job setups can make it complicated to fill out the FAFSA®. So we’re here to break down how to report parent (or student) finances if you’re self-employed or own a small business.

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14 Most Common FAFSA® Errors

Our team knows the FAFSA®–and the common mistakes made on it. Over the last 3 years, we’ve helped thousands of students fill out the form (using our FAFSA® Made Easier), and walked countless confused parents through how to correctly report their complicated home/financial situation. Here are the top 14 most common FAFSA® mistakes we’ve seen, in rough order of most common to least common.

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