Parent PLUS loans are pretty easy to get and many schools "packaged" these loans for parents into students' financial aid award letters. Those conveniences come with a hidden price, though.
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When borrowing for college, researching options and knowing what to expect can help ensure responsible borrowing for college.
Cost of attendance is often the biggest factor in choosing a college, but the affordability of any particular college or university can be difficult to determine.
Although most college scholarship applications are limited to incoming or current college students, you can help your younger student take several steps now to prepare for scholarship applications later.
It may feel like your child just headed off to the first day of school, but time passes quickly and now is the time to plan for high school and beyond.
As you prepare to help your child through the college application process, keep these tips in mind.
As the number of high school years wane for your student, preparation for the next step should be picking up. Use these checklists to help your child plan for college.
Selecting colleges with the right fit can be overwhelming as high school juniors and seniors start the college application process. Here are five ways to explore different types of college campuses.
Before applying for a parent PLUS loan, carefully consider its features, benefits and drawbacks.
Learn exactly what the cost of attendance means. If you have started the process of preparing for your child’s college career, you may have run into several things that have you confused – and maybe a few that have you nervous.
Here are some items for you and your high school senior to look over each month from March to the start of freshman year of college.
The financial, networking and training benefits of working part-time while in college can seem pretty obvious. What may not be so obvious is how working part-time during the academic year can also boost a student’s grades.
Learn about the different types of student loans, both federal and private, to help choose the best option for your financial situation.
Before accepting a college admission, it’s important you take a look and ensure the offered financial aid is right for your family’s situation.
Before filling out loan applications or accepting student loans, consider future repayment and whether you or your student is going to be responsible for making payments.
Are you ready to be financially liable? If you are considering taking on a federal parent loan or cosigning a private student loan with your student, consider these important points.
This milestone for your student can mean a lot of work for you. Use this checklist to bring some order to the chaos.
Knowing your student is prepared can help ease your anxiety as they make the move away. Use these tips to help ensure they’re ready for daily life on their own.
The variety of college funding sources often leads to confusion as students and parents plan for college. This financial aid primer can help you sort out and compare financial aid options.
Don’t forget to plan for expenses like these when estimating your cost of college attendance. Having a clear idea of all your expenses upfront will allow you to better plan how you will pay for college.
While college acceptance letters are often exciting, the arrival of financial aid award packages can be confusing. Keep these five things in mind as you review your financial aid awards to limit stress.
The College Funding Forecaster is a free, online tool designed to help borrowers make good decisions about borrowing student loans.
Opportunities to become involved in extracurricular activities, athletics, and work activities abound. Here are nine reasons high school students should take advantage of at least a few of those opportunities.
Students of all ages need good time management skills to balance school, homework, activities, family responsibilities and just having fun.
An integral part of the college financial aid process is an expected family contribution, or EFC. This number is the basis for the amount of financial aid made available to a student.
How can you help your student maximize savings so you don’t end up draining your retirement resources to help them out?
College may seem a long way off when your student is in middle school, but it’s time to start preparing to pay for education after high school. Use these tips to help you.
Even with modern technology and the changing pace of the world, reading — and understanding the text — still plays an integral role in success in college and career.
Saving for your children’s college educations can be stressful, but it can also be one of the best things you can do to help ensure they have a solid financial start.
You can help your middle school child set a strong financial foundation with these three budget basics.
It’s a good idea to revisit your progress on college savings at least once a year. Here are a few to-dos to ensure accounts set aside for college expenses are on track.
Most college scholarship applications are limited to incoming or current college students, but if your student is younger, you can still help with some early steps.
This step-by-step guide can help you and your student explore available careers and decide on possible choices that suit his or her interests.
How will your student know what to do in a life situation if you don’t talk about it beforehand?
When planning for education after high school, saving instead of borrowing for college has one simple but very important advantage: It will cost you less money.
What is a private student loan exactly? Learn about cosigners, interest rates, fees, and benefits, in addition to interest charges and repayment plans.
The easiest way to reduce any student loan costs is by eliminating loans completely or by borrowing a minimal amount. Here's how you can reduce your need for student loans.
Learn the importance of credit scores and how they affect student loan interest rates. Don't forget about the impact of poor credit.
Student loans are different than car loans and mortgages because the majority of student loans allow you to defer repayment while you're attending school on at least a half-time basis.
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