Did you know that your children’s credit scores may be more important to their future than their academic transcripts? Or that 68 percent of high school and college students say they have never had a meaningful conversation with their parents about personal finances? What’s your reaction to an Indiana University administrator candidly admitting that they lose more students to credit cards ...

The Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard can offer a lot of assistance for students heading to college. Whether you're a veteran, a child or spouse of a veteran, or a student planning a career in the military, there are programs that can help fund your college career. Funding for Veterans and Veterans' Dependents To repay service in ...

For the past four or five years, your student loans have been a nagging presence, but something that you’ve kept tucked away in the back of your mind – behind the essays, Blue Book exams and presentations. But now, it’s time to bring those pesky student loans to the forefront of your mind and get down to business on repaying them. ...

I am currently a single parent with a daughter receiving financial aid. However, I plan to marry and am curious how that affects my child’s financial aid. Will his income be considered when completing the FAFSA next year even if we don’t share financial responsibility for her or commingle our bank accounts? — Terri S. If a dependent student's custodial parent ...

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 ...

The Tuition and Fees Deduction allows taxpayers to deduct up to $4,000 in tuition expenses as an above-the-line exclusion from income. This tax benefit is also known as the Limited Deduction for Tuition Expenses or as the Torricelli Deduction. This deduction may be taken even if the taxpayer does not itemize. The deduction is currently set to expire at the end ...

My married parents want to file their income tax returns as married filing separately. If the parent with the lower income claims me as a dependent, does that mean that I will receive more financial aid than I would if the other parent (with higher income) claimed me as a dependent? — Ilya S. Although you indicated that your parents are ...

If I change schools, how do I edit my FAFSA so the money goes to my new school? And about how long would it take for the money to transfer schools? — Q.T. Student financial aid does not directly transfer between colleges. Instead, the new college will recalculate your eligibility from scratch based on the information on your FAFSA and 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 ...

We asked parents to share their advice on the financial aid process, based on their experiences with their children. Here's what they said: "Keep a file folder with each piece of correspondence in it. That way you have a paper trail. Every time a new loan, grant or financial aid comes in, you may receive a revised bill. Also, make sure ...

Student aid policy experts have argued for years that the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is too long and too complicated. The FAFSA form is a source of confusion and frustration for many families. The policy experts have proven that the current process of applying for financial aid is itself a problem that prevents millions of students from applying ...

This article lists a dozen tips for asking for college savings cash as an alternative to traditional material gifts. It is a summary of the longer article, How To Ask Friends and Family for Money for a Child's College Savings Plan. 1. The only way to get a cash gift to a child's college savings plan is to ask. If you ...

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, ...

Congress is proposing to allow borrowers to discharge private student loans in bankruptcy. Under current law, education loans are not dischargeable in bankruptcy except in extreme circumstances. The US Bankruptcy Code at 11 USC 523(a)(8) requires borrowers who want to get a bankruptcy discharge for their student loans to demonstrate in an adversary proceeding that repaying their student loans "would impose ...

You must submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) if you want to apply for federal and state financial aid. Many colleges and universities, especially public institutions, also require the FAFSA. You must submit the FAFSA every year that you want aid. Obtaining a FAFSA The FAFSA is available in several formats, including online, PDF and paper versions. The ...

We asked FastWeb members to pass along their advice on financial aid, based on their personal experiences. Here's what they said: "It is NOT your school's responsibility to keep track of your account, it's yours! If you think that something is not right about your financial aid, check it out. Even if the school's mistake seems to be favoring you, you ...

Everyone wants a slice of the American Dream and, in this modern day, going to college is essential to success. Forget the Jones’, these days Americans are finding it increasingly difficult to keep up with the very student loans they took out to help ensure future success. So, what happens when they very institution that’s supposed to safeguard your future now ...

QUESTION: Why not borrow from my 401(k) for my daughter's college tuition, as there will be less to lose in this economic crisis? -- Betsy Thomas ANSWER: Borrowing from your 401(k) is almost always a big mistake. It may seem innocuous, since instead of paying back a bank loan, you're paying yourself. But you've lost the opportunity to earn further returns ...

You've found the perfect grant for your graduate program. Now you need to convince the grant or fellowship committee that you're the one to fund. More Than a Scholarship Application A grant proposal is a unique document. You have more freedom than you do when writing a scholarship application - and you have to do more planning as well. And even ...

The United States is home to the world’s most expensive higher education system. So says the College Board, an educational testing and services group. That probably doesn’t surprise you, especially if you are among those paying or preparing to pay the average of $5,800 a year in tuition to attend a four-year public university. (That figure skyrockets to an average of ...