Grandparents are usually willing to help with college expenses when possible. I remember my own grandmother chipping in a bit for my freshman year at school. Knowing what I know now, it’s likely that the gift had a negative impact on my financial aid eligibility. The...
College tuition has been rising 33% faster than inflation. This has resulted in enormous tuition bills and students taking on an increasing amount of student loan debt to fund it. You need to treat a college education like any other investment and answer a few...
Children are being asked to make one of the largest purchase decisions of their life at the age of 17, paying for a college education. The result, the average graduate has more than $37,000 in student loan debt. Parents understand that investing in an education...
The need for college planning has never been more important. The average cost for a private school is now $35,676 and the rates on Stafford and Parent Plus loans for 2019 have increased to 5.05% and 7.6% respectively. For parents with children in high school, this...
To say that student loans are an issue is an understatement. Let’s look at a few statistics. Outstanding student loans are nearing 1.6 trillion, second only to mortgages when it comes to consumer debt. Current delinquency rates are over 11% and based on...
A divorce or separation can have a dramatic impact on your child’s eligibility for financial aid, and here’s why – some colleges will only consider the income and assets of the custodial parent, while others will include both the custodial and non-custodial parents....
Should we gift appreciated assets to our children to help pay for college? As is normally the case with planning, it depends. You first need to determine if you will qualify for any need-based financial aid. The formula for determining need-based aid is Cost of...
College selection is an integral part of any college planning strategy. Where will your child fit in best? What should they major in? What financial aid, if any, can they expect to receive? These can be difficult questions to answer for most families without some...
Outstanding student loan debt is approaching 1.6 trillion second only to mortgage debt for consumers. Student loan delinquency rates are over 11% and the average 2016 graduate had over $36,000 in loans. These are some eye-popping numbers that should prompt families...
The average college student is graduating with over $37,000 in student loans. And they aren't the only ones taking on debt: Parents are borrowing more than ever to help their children pay for a college education, and jeopardizing their own retirement goals in the...