A study funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation found that the main reason why students drop out of college is the conflict between school and work and family commitments. The study, With Their Whole Lives Ahead of Them, was conducted by Public Agenda, a nonprofit and nonpartisan public policy research organization. Many students who drop out of college have ...

Wondering how to maximize your financial aid package? Got a specific student aid question you can't find the answer to? No matter what is its, if you've got a financial aid question, "Kantro" has the answer. Mark Kantrowitz is one of the top financial aid experts in the country and he's answering YOUR questions, here on FastWeb! Nationally recognized and often ...

When I turned in my FAFSA my parents were making a lot more money than they are now. Both my parents were working full time, but now my mom is the only one working for minimum wage, with my dad jobless. Is there anything I can do at this time to change my FAFSA? — Sam W. Call or write the ...

I am new to all of this and I am wondering how soon we find out how much financial aid we will be getting. My son has been accepted at 3 colleges and each one wants money to secure his place. One is way more expensive than the others but if we get enough aid he can go there. The deposit ...

You've probably already calculated tuition bills and costs for room and board. Yet the hidden costs of college — from pizza to airfare, from library fines to laundry money — can easily add up to another $2,000 per year. To get a handle on those extras, you'll want to put together a monthly budget that estimates your costs. Be sure to ...

I'm doing everything possible to lower my EFC. I have assets, UTMA, mutual funds, stocks and I know they hurt my chances of receiving free money (Federal or state grants). I was thinking of cashing in the assets and putting them in a safety deposit box. That way I won't have to claim them on the FAFSA because they are no ...

Congress passed legislation on Friday, June 29, 2012 to prevent the interest rate on subsidized Stafford loans to undergraduate students from doubling July 1, 2012. The last-minute legislation, which passed with strong bipartisan support, keeps the interest rate at 3.4 percent for new loans in 2012-13, instead of allowing it to revert to 6.8 percent. The Student Loan Interest Rate Extension ...

I have a dire question that needs urgent results. I took out a loan in college (undergraduate). I was foolish and took out the maximum loan amount that I could each time. Upon graduating, I moved to another state and began my teaching career. In the beginning years it was hard for me to make payments and I made bad choices ...

Having grown up with depression era parents, I've never been someone that liked to have debt. I'm told that avoiding debt will not work in my favor when applying for financial aid for my son's education. What should I know and is there something I should do to improve my odds of getting what other typically debt-ridden families in our tax ...

My nephew has asked me to cosign a private student loan for college. He's on his own since he lives independently from his mother, his parents are divorced, and his father is completely out of the picture. He's made it through 2 years of college with great success. I'd like to help him. I have very good credit. What would be ...

According to a press release from Securian Financial Group, Sallie Mae is adding a total and permanent disability discharge on its Smart Option private student loan. This discharge will forgive the loan if the primary borrower becomes totally and permanently disabled. In addition, Sallie Mae will cancel the Smart Option private student loan if the primary borrower dies. Securian Financial Group ...

With college costs rising, most students need help paying for higher education. And most will rely on more than one source to cover costs. Learn how to put together the pieces of your financial aid package. Grants Grants are awards based on financial need or funds distributed to support a specific project (e.g. research grants). This is free money that doesn't ...

Families should file the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) at www.fafsa.ed.gov as soon as possible after January 1. While the federal government accepts the FAFSA as late as June 30 of the following year, several states have deadlines as early as February or March. Some state funding is awarded on a first come, first served basis, with state grants ...

Title: Dealing with the Debt Deal and Downgrade: Practical Tips for Students and their Families Standard & Poor's (S&P) downgraded US long-term debt one notch from AAA to AA+ after the stock market closed on Friday, August 5, 2011. This is the first time the United States has lost its AAA rating. The downgrade triggered a panic sell-off when the ...

Your Facebook profile may cause you to lose a scholarship. It can also help you win a scholarship. According to a recent survey of scholarship-granting organizations, about a quarter of scholarship providers evaluate the online presence of finalists before selecting which students will win scholarships. These scholarship sponsors use web search sites like Google and social media web sites like Facebook, ...

My daughter's father and I are divorced and I have remarried. Neither my previous nor my new husband are contributing toward my daughter's education, so I am paying all of the expenses myself. How can I show that in my taxes and on the FAFSA so the aid calculations are not made using twice the income that is actually being applied ...

I am thinking about going back to school to get a second bachelors degree. Because I already have a B.A. degree, it seems that I am not able to receive any aid other than student loans. Is this true or am I missing something? — Josh S. Student with a prior Bachelor's degree are ineligible for the Pell Grant, Academic Competitiveness ...

With the new Obama tuition plan do you now have to go through FAFSA to get a loan? Is it better to take a loan out in my child's name or take a parent PLUS loan? — Michelle A. Starting July 1, 2010, all new federal education loans will be made through the Direct Loan program. This includes federal student loans, ...

Why should one NOT use retirement funds to pay for a child's college costs? — Diane H. There are two main reasons why families shouldn't use retirement plan funds to pay for college. The first reason is the financial impact of taking a distribution from a retirement plan to pay for college. The financial impact includes both the tax liability and ...

Euro. Yen. Dollar. Whatever you call it, if you want to study abroad you're going to need it. There are ways to get financial aid to study abroad. Find out how to make your trip overseas more affordable. The Ins and Outs of Aid Eligibility Before you rule out study abroad because of the cost, find out whether you may be ...