These 20 colleges give students the most financial aid

Posted on October 12th, 2018

Few students can afford the high price of college without financial aid. So for prospective college students and families, it’s crucial to know which schools award the most aid before applying to college.

The Princeton Review recently ranked colleges based on students’ ratings of overall satisfaction with their financial aid packages at the 384 best colleges in the U.S. According to their analysis, these are the best colleges for financial aid in 2018:

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1/3 of colleges greatly underestimate living costs

Posted on September 12th, 2018

"If you're aligning your work and borrowing decisions based on aid from the university, there's a possibility you can go through a perfect financial planning exercise and still end up short in the fall." -- David Helene, Edquity

You’re prepared for college. You know exactly how much you’ll have to pay, have borrowed the appropriate amount, and shouldn’t have any unexpected expenses. Right? Not so fast, say researchers. If you planned for college costs using your college’s cost of living estimates, there’s a good chance the amount of money you’ve budgeted will fall […]

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Students saving more, parents saving less for college

Posted on July 23rd, 2018

As the cost of college has risen, the burden of paying for it has fallen on students more than ever.

CNBC reports that college students are saving an average of $7,801, according to the second edition of the Allianz Tuition Insurance College Confidence Index.

That’s up 17% from $6,678 in 2017.

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More borrowers may qualify for public service loan forgiveness

Posted on April 4th, 2018

A new bill passed by Congress will make it easier for student loan borrowers to qualify for student loan forgiveness, CNBC reports.

The bill gives the Department of Education $350 million to offer forgiveness to student loan borrowers who meet all requirements for public service loan forgiveness except that they were enrolled in graduated or extended repayment plans, which were ineligible for relief.

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Yes, student loans have origination fees too

Posted on January 22nd, 2018

Most people understand that student loans come with interest — which can add several thousand dollars onto the life of the loan, especially if you extend out your payments.

But many people don’t realize that federal student loans also come with origination fees, much like mortgages or car loans, which can add significantly to student debt totals.

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Your grace period’s over — here’s how to deal with student debt

Posted on November 19th, 2017

Since it’s now been six months since May college graduates left school, it’s time for them to confront the reality of paying off their student debt. The end of the student loan grace period means that students will start receiving bills from their student loan servicers.

Here’s how to take control of your student debt once your grace period is over — and what you can do before to make it easier.

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How to create an FSA ID

Posted on November 3rd, 2017

It’s that time of the year: time for college-bound students and their parents should fill out the Free Application for Financial Aid (FAFSA).

Students and parents should complete the FAFSA ASAP for priority financial aid consideration.

Even if you’ve filled out the FAFSA before, there are some big FAFSA changes you need to know about if you haven’t submitted one in the past couple of years.

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College net prices rise for 6th straight year

Posted on October 27th, 2017

We’ve written in the past how net price — the price you actually pay for college after financial aid, grants and scholarships — is more important than a college’s published price.

Many colleges have high sticker prices, but end up being affordable because they have generous financial aid policies.

Unfortunately, because the rise in financial aid hasn’t kept up with rising costs, the net price of college has risen for the sixth straight year, Money reports.

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Perkins Federal Student Loan Program Ends

Posted on October 13th, 2017

As of October 1, students can no longer take out federal Perkins Loans to help them pay for college.

The government’s oldest federal student aid program, established in 1957, ended Sept. 30, after Congress failed to extend the program. As a result, up to 500,000 eligible students at 1,500 colleges will no longer be able to take advantage of this financial aid program.

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FAFSA now available for 2018-19 school year

Posted on October 3rd, 2017

As of October 1, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is now available for families and students applying for financial aid for the 2018-19 academic year.

Current high school seniors as well as college freshmen, sophomores and juniors will need to fill out the FAFSA to receive federal financial aid for next year.

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