The Lifetime Learning provides a federal income tax credit of up to $2,000 per taxpayer based on the first $10,000 in postsecondary tuition and fees paid by the taxpayer during the tax year. The Lifetime learning tax credit is 20% of the first $10,000. The tax credit may be received for an unlimited number of years. Amount of Credit The Lifetime ...

The stock market’s in a slump. The economy isn't rebounding. Jobs are hard to come by-- and so are student loans. But you’re not sure how — or if— any of it affects you. Chances are it will. And while you may not be feeling the effects of it yet, that’s simply because it hasn’t trickled down yet. When it comes ...

Think you know financial aid? These five facts might surprise you. 1. Most students receive financial aid. If you’re not going to bother applying for scholarships because you think no one ever wins, you’re wrong. Two-thirds of full-time undergraduate students receive financial aid in the form of grants or scholarships, according to the College Board. The cost of college is rising, ...

Parents of college students face added financial pressure. The federal Parent Loan for Undergraduate Students (PLUS) loan can alleviate some of that pressure. The PLUS is a loan for parents and family members to help cover the education costs for dependent college students. PLUS loans cover up to the total cost of undergraduate education not already covered by financial aid for ...

Colleges and universities hit by state and federal funding cuts are shocking students with mid-year tuition hikes. How can students, already squeezed for money, cope with such unexpected sticker shock? Don't Panic Don’t panic, experts say. Students should discuss the situation with their families first, said Seamus Harreys, dean of student financial services at Northeastern University in Boston. “Many families have ...

The federal government's newest rate cut could have an impact on some student loans. Learn how it could affect your student loans below. Q: How do I know whether this rate cut affects me? A: The rate cut will affect recently-graduated students for whom ALL THREE of the following are true: 1. You're within the six-month grace period following graduation AND ...

Only 529 college savings plans that are owned by the student or the student's parents are reported as assets on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). So a 529 plan owned by a grandparent or other third party will not be reported as an asset on the FAFSA. However, qualified distributions from such a 529 plan are treated as ...

From time to time I receive solicitations for free financial aid seminars that are really sales pitches for a product or service. I attend these seminars to monitor the information (and misinformation) that these seminars disseminate. The latest one was a bit different, in that it was affiliated with a national asset management and financial planning firm. It's not a very ...

Filling out the FAFSA can be tricky. Keep these tips in mind and you shouldn't have any problems. Identify Yourself Use your legal name as it appears on your Social Security card. Nicknames or aliases will cause a processing delay. Read the questions carefully. The words "you" and "your" on the FAFSA always refer to the student, not the parents. To ...

It’s December 1st, which has us thinking about the FAFSA already. The FAFSA stands for Free Application for Federal Student Aid and is made available every January 1st to potential and current college and graduate students. It’s the document that decides your need for student aid—not unlike the way your mother decided your fate when she picked your outfit for third ...

Everyone has an idea of what their EFC (Expected Family Contribution) should be, but it typically never matches with what the FAFSA declares, leaving a lot of students and families clambering for more options to pay for school. Understanding how the EFC is determined and what happens after might lead to greater transparency into the process, helping you and your family ...

Missing payments on your student loan has serious consequences. If you're making monthly payments and you're 270 days delinquent, or 330 days delinquent if you pay less often than monthly, then you are in default. Your Borrowing Responsibilities It's important to read the fine print when you borrow money for school. Unless you're granted loan deferment, forbearance or forgiveness, you must ...

Your employer may provide you with up to $5,250 in employer education assistance benefits for undergraduate or graduate courses tax-free each year. The benefits must have been paid for tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment. In certain circumstances payments above $5,250 may also be tax-free. About one-twelfth of undergraduate students and one-fifth of graduate students (two-fifths of MBA students) receive employer ...

My son has brain damage along with seizures and a reading learning disability. With all the doctors appointments, hospital stays and seizures he is on academic probation this semester. So that means, well you know what that means, he will not be allowed to apply for FAFSA this semester. My question to you all is how can I afford to pay ...

When a college is considering your application, they weigh a variety of factors. One of them can potentially be whether or not you can afford to attend the school. Different schools have different policies when it comes to student need in admissions. The policies also affect whether the school will provide all, or only some, of your demonstrated need. While there ...

Good news! The interest you pay on your student loan might let you pay less on your taxes. Thanks to the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997, tax time will be a little better for you and other student borrowers. How It Works Depending on your specific loan situation, you may be eligible to deduct some of the interest you pay on ...

College is a transition from a sheltered existence where your parents worried about money matters on your behalf to the real world where you are responsible for making ends meet. But there are many lessons about managing money and living on your own that aren't taught in a college classroom. According to the Council for Economic Education, 13 states require high ...

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 ...

Even though the bailout bill has been passed, most Americans are still wary of future financial woes. Students are especially worried, seeing as their funding for college is tied up in private loans and may have been affected by the recent sub prime mortgage crisis. Mark Kantrowitz, a leading financial aid expert, has a few tips to help students continue to ...

How beneficial is it to have our college attending son file his taxes on his own versus us claiming him as a dependent? Does it make a huge difference in the amount of aid and/or scholarships he would receive? — Lois H. Whether or not a student is claimed as an exemption on his parents' federal income tax returns has no ...