College Planning Articles
EFC Calculators – The purpose of these calculator is to assist you in estimating your expected family contribution (EFC). An EFC is a measure of how much money you and your family will be able to contribute toward your educational expenses for one academic year of your post secondary education. Read more»
What happens to your college FASFA financial aid application? - Find out what happens to your college FASFA financial aid application when the college Admissions Office receives it. Does it sit in the mail room with the others or being scanned by computers to be archived for later use? Or are they read by several of unenthusiastic admissions officers? Read more»
7 Questions College Bound Parents Ask About FASFA Financial Aid – Read some of the top questions college bound parents ask about financial aid. Read more»
10 Myths About Paying For College – Find out about 10 myths about paying for college. Just because a belief about paying for college is common, doesn’t mean that it’s true. Get facts from fiction. Read more»
NJ Federal School Code – look up codes for colleges and universities that are located in New Jersey. In order for the school that you are applying for to receive your FAFSA information, you must put their six digit Federal School Code on your FAFSA application. Read more»
Early College Planning Decision & Early Action – Who benefits from applying under each of these Early Programs? First, all students whose academic records are unlikely to improve in their senior year and who are happy with their board scores should seriously consider applying early. It will clarify how well your strategy fits your academic record and can materially improve your odds. Read more »
Dispelling Myths about College Admissions – There are many myths about the college admissions process. By sorting fact from fiction, you can focus your time and energy on what matters most. Read more »
College Application Ethics – Explaining the rules to students and families – The pressures of the college application process can tempt students and parents to skirt the edges of ethical behavior in order to gain an edge in admissions. Some may be well aware that they are trying to “game the system”; others may not understand the formal or informal agreements they’ve entered into. How do you counsel students and families on application ethics? Read more »
College Affordability and “The Middle Class Squeeze” – College costs are a problem for the vast majority of parents and students because the dollars required to meet school expectations are often far above and beyond what is available in a family’s monthly budget. Read more »
FAFSA Deadlines – Application Deadlines for 2010 and 2011 – FAFSA Federal Financial Aid Deadlines and State Financial Aid Deadlines for 2010 and 2011. File on time. Read more »
4 Guidelines for Claiming Rental Property as a Business on the FAFSA – Rental Property on the FAFSA has always been an area of contention. The manner these assets are listed on the FAFSA can mean the difference of thousands or tens of thousands of dollars in financial aid. Read more »
6 Qualities of the CSS Profile – The other college financial aid form – The Collegeboard’s CSS Profile (College Scholarship Service Profile) is a secondary financial aid form required by 300 to 400 colleges, universities, and scholarship programs. Where as the FAFSA asks for approximately 150 pieces of financial and demographic information, the Profile can ask for over 300 different pieces of information. Here are six characteristics of the Profile of which you need to be aware. Read more »
College Twins, Triplets, and Siblings – Determine your expected family contribution (EFC) – College finances are typically more manageable the more students you have enrolled. The expected family contribution (EFC) is substantially affected by the number of students you have in school at the same time. In fact for the parent’s portion of the EFC, it is split almost equally among the students enrolled in college. So if the parent’s EFC is $20,000 with one child in college, it will be $10,000 for each child when there are two in college. Now this may not sound like that big of a help at first, but consider the following. Read more »
ALERT: Early Decision & Early Action On College Admission Time – It’s coming up on college admission time. So you need to start thinking about having your students fill out their admission applications. This is a great time to revisit the pitfalls of the “early decision” and “early action” processes. Read more »
Is College Money Hard To Find? Discover how to pay for college – Once again I have been in an online debate on one of the college financial aid forums about the likelihood of finding money to pay for college. There is a pervasive misconception out there that only the most selective colleges provide the needed money to only the most excelled students. This is not so! I have case study after case study to illustrate this point. Read more »
College and Retirement… at the same time – So college and retirement have come at the same time. Is there a best course of action? As families have decided to have children later and later, it is not uncommon for college to come right at the time that many parents decide to retire. This will have an impact on how you will want to pay for college. Read More »
The Mythical Ivy League School Impact – Now is a time when a lot of high school seniors and their parents begin thinking about what universities or Ivy League schools to apply to. Read more »
Ten Ways To Get Noticed By The Elite Schools – Elite Schools accept less than 30% of their applicants. Here are ten ways to get noticed by the Elite Schools and what admissions counselors at these schools are looking for. Read more »
The College Search – Picking The Right College Can Save You A Mountain Of Time And Money – Pickingthe “right” college that fits the student’s personality is the most important decision in the college search. There are many factors involved in order to determine the ideal six to eight colleges to apply for admission. Below are some tips on your college search and how to pick the right college for you or your children. Read more »
Families Are Now Bearing More Of The Brunt Of College Costs – Students and families are paying for 85 percent of their college costs and nearly half of these families are borrowing money to cover these expenses, a Gallup poll has found. Read more »
How Will The Money You Spend On College Affect Your Retirement Plan? – While most families do considerable research prior to purchasing a home and a car, many of these families take a more impulsive approach to financing college. Their idea of due diligence is to attend a ‘financial aid night’ at their high school, pour over voluminous college books in the library, or search endlessly through Google for answers. And while their effort may produce some grants, scholarships, and student loans, the net result is they will either write the college a large check, or take on major additional debt. Read more »
Warning: Students, What You Post On Facebook Could Haunt You! – It happened again. We are hearing more and more stories about students being suspended or kicked off of sports teams for photos that were posted on online websites like Facebook, Twitter or MySpace that showed them drinking and partying. Let’s talk about how NOT to let a stupid photo or two ruin your chances of getting in….or worse. Read more »
Breaking Down the College Expense Bill – College cost, which is sometimes referred to as the total student budget, includes both billable and indirect costs. Read the facts on how to break down the college expense bill. Read more»
How High School Students Can Prepare For College Admissions – If you are a high school student, there are so many ways you can prepare for college admissions. The earlier you start, the more successful you will be. You are giving yourself an advantage that most seniors only wish that they had. Read more »
Financial Aid: Determining the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) – Expected family contribution (EFC) is the amount of money a family should contribute toward education costs. Understanding how EFC is calculated is the key to your financial aid strategy. Read more »
Current Credit Crunch Has College Lenders Tightening Standards – Funding for college may not be as readily available these days, as federal student loan programs become harder to get. How do you get credit and funding for college? Read More »
12 Ways Not To Choose A College – It’s time to make that final decision about where you will enroll in college. How do you choose? Here are 12 ways not to choose your college. Read More »
What Consumer Information Colleges Are Required to Tell Their Students – Colleges that participate in Federal Student Aid Programs under Title IV must comply with certain requirements related to consumer information. Typically this information is available through general publications such as a college catalog, but other information must be provided directly to students. All of this information must be provided to students upon request. Read More»
Important Thing To Consider When Choosing a College – If you’re going away to school you will be living in new surroundings for as many years as it takes to get your education. Depending on the kind of degree or certificate you seek, that may be 1 year, 2 years, 4-5 years or more. If you attend graduate or professional school…more time yet. So it isn’t just a decision of “where do you want to go to school,” but also, “Where would you like to live?” Consider these and some other points when choosing a college. Read More »
Financial Aid Award Letters – Decision Time – You have just received four financial aid award letters. Now what? This is the time to do a detailed analysis of each college’s offer to help you pay for your education. Who is going to have you pay the least out of your pocket by giving you the most free money? Remember, accepting a financial aid award is a family matter. Find out why? Read More »
What Happens When College Puts You On Its Wait List? – What if your application is neither accepted nor denied, but a college puts you on its wait list? To be wait-listed means that you have not been accepted yet but have been placed on a waiting list in case an opening becomes available. Schools rank the applicants from the regular admission pool on their waiting lists in order of priority. Read More »
Boston College Admissions Counseling - Read Boston College admissions stats. Boston College is a highly prestigious, moderately sized private college that is affiliated with the Jesuit branch of the Roman Catholic church. The college is home to over 9,000 undergraduate students and approximately 5,000 graduate and part-time students. Read More »
Top 10 Nation’s Colleges With the Lowest Acceptance Rates – Here is a list of Top 10 Nation’s colleges with the lowest acceptance rates. Harvard seems to be the pickiest elite school in the country. Read More »
University of Michigan Admission Secrets – Discover University of Michigan admission secrets from college specialists who will help you increase your chances of getting in & save you thousands in tuition fees. Read More »
Federal Student Aid Program Summary Chart – Check out our chart for Federal Student Aid programs, which outlines program details, repayment plans and who qualified for these loans and grants. Read More »
Steps to Federal Student Aid For New Jersey Student – Applying for Federal Student Aid for NJ students is not an easy task. It requires a lot of preparation to make sure your application if filled out correctly without any errors. Read our step by step guide. Read More »
Types of Federal Student Aid Grants for NJ Students – There are several types of grants of federal student aid available for NJ Students looking to apply to colleges, universities or trade school. Read More »