As a high school counselor, you’re likely the first person that students will go to for advice about applying for financial aid. Though you likely have a general idea of how to help most students, it can be difficult to keep track of all of the various scholarships and financial aid options that are out Read More

There are a few key points you might consider making to your High School students as they plan for college and are hearing about the President’s student loan forgiveness program. This doesn’t apply to most private student loans (Parent Plus Loans do qualify). This only applies to existing loans. Any loans they would take out Read More

Student loan entrance counseling aids students as they go forward toward financing their college education for the first time. Some loans like Federal Student Loans require student loan counseling, whereas private loans do not. These sessions help students learn the basics about borrowing money. Some schools require in-person counseling with a student loan counselor, but Read More

Students, parents, and guardians regularly ask questions about the financial aid process. It begins with completing the FAFSA and continues for the entire time a student is enrolled in college and beyond. After graduation students are checking on upcoming student loan payments and potentially asking about graduate or professional school funding. Below are a list Read More

It is time for your students and their parents to begin thinking about completing the FAFSA this Fall and to being getting all their documents together. The FAFSA on the Web Worksheet provides a preview of the questionsthat you may be asked while completing the Free Applicationfor Federal Student Aid (FAFSA®) online at fafsa.gov or Read More

If you’re the parent of a college-bound student, you may have been invited to a “free” informational session about repositioning assets in order to reduce your expected family contribution (EFC). These sessions, though, are often thinly disguised pitches for products (like annuities or life insurance) that may end up costing you money instead of saving Read More

Imagine you’ve gone through the hard work of finding, applying, and finally winning a scholarship.  Although this exciting win is considered a good thing in most cases, students may be surprised and disappointed to learn that colleges can potentially reduce their financial aid as a result of their scholarship winnings.  This practice is called “scholarship Read More

A recent annual survey conducted by Discover Student Loans found: Fifty percent of parents with college bound children have saved less than $15,000 for their child’s education Fifty-five percent of parents believe their ability to pay for college has not improved over last year; fears of uncertainty and potential recession drive financial concern for parents. Read More

It’s difficult for any counselor to see a smart, driven student who is unable to pay for college. With costs rising not only for tuition but also for room and board, a degree can easily slip out of reach for deserving students. Fortunately, there are lots of student aid options out there that can provide Read More

Do your students have any questions about financial aid/student loans? Here is an interview conducted by Yahoo Finance’s Aarthi Swaminathan with Federal Student Aid Chief Operating Officer Richard Cordray to discuss student loan debt, tuition inflation, and the student loan payment pause. Here is the link to the video: https://finance.yahoo.com/video/yahoo-finance-presents-richard-cordray-120000791.html