In addition to extending the pause of Federal student loan repayments to August 31, 2022, any borrowers who were in default or delinquency prior to March 2020, will have their status reset when repayment is scheduled to start on September 1, 2022. ….all borrowers with paused loans to receive a ‘fresh start’ on repayment by…
Tag: FAFSA
2022-23 Student Loan Borrowers Beware: Rising Interest Rates
Each July, Federal student loan interest rates are reset for the upcoming school year using the formula of 10-Year Treasury Rate + 2.05%. Currently, as of today, May 12, 2022, with the recent .5% interest rate increase, the 10 year Treasury interest rate is 2.91%. Thus, although the Federal student loan interest rates are fixed…
The Extra Bonus of the Student Loan Repayment Pause through May 1, 2022
Since March 2020 and extending through May 1, 2022, payments and interest on all Federal education loans, both student loans and Parent PLUS loans have been suspended as parts of various COVID-related economic relief policies. Borrowers have not been obligated to send payments, and for anyone already behind in their payments, no additional penalties have…
The search for merit aid begins with the proper valuation of a college degree
“Do you help with scholarships?” is often one of the first questions that parents ask me. Fearful of the ever-increasing cost of college tuition, they (mis)perceive a college education as a large purchase, rather than an investment. To invest in a college education, both institution and family mutually consent to a partnership. Yet, in any…
Coming Changes to the FAFSA
Over the next three years, the Federal Department of Education will phase in changes to the FAFSA, the Free Application for Federal Aid, which may increase out of pocket college costs for families, yet reduce the complexity of applying for need-based financial aid. The following are highlights of the changes, as well as recommendations for…
Deferment of student loans to continue
On January 21, 2021 by executive order, President Biden continued the suspension of all Federal student loan payments as well as interest until September 30, 2021. With President Biden’s extension, student loan borrowers will be granted a total of 18 months of loan and interest deferment, since payments were suspended since the enactment of the…
The 2021-22 FAFSA Is Open
The 2021-22 Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as the FAFSA, which U.S. universities use to determine what, if any, financial assistance for families, opened on October 1, 2020. Parents and students can submit the form online, only requiring some time and patience to complete, what can, on first glance, be reminiscent of…
Ever Wonder Why The Dollars in Your Pocket Are Less?
Wonder no longer…
FAFSA Changes Release Date
The FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid, the government form required to apply for financial aid at any U.S. college or university, will be released on October 1, 2016. The October date is a full three months earlier than previous years, when the FAFSA was released on January 1. What the earlier release…
The FAFSA PIN is Now the FSA ID
When submitting the FAFSA or Free Application for Federal Student Aid to apply for financial aid at colleges and universities all over the United States, parents and students have needed a PIN number as their electronic signature. Recently, Federal Student Aid has changed the PIN to an FSA ID, which will serve as an electronic…
Student Debt in Seven Charts
Not all student debt is ruinous. However, borrowing can be complex. Loans spend tomorrow’s income today, and for college students, a promise of tomorrow’s income is spent to pay for expenses in the present day. Understanding recent growth in student loans and the challenges of repayment can help potential student loan borrowers consider both the benefits and the risks before borrowing.…
Ahead of the Curve: February 27, 2014
From Our Clients: Aaaaccck! How do we pay for college? Parents often tell themselves, “First things first. Applications, THEN we’ll think about how to pay for college.” Totally an expected reaction, when considering the six figure totals for a college education these days. However, the planning to pay for college can take place long before…
Ahead of the Curve: January 5, 2014
From Our Clients: More Common App Problems: January 1 is one of the common college application due dates for popular and highly selective colleges, like Stanford, Harvard, Rice, Brown, Notre Dame, Claremont McKenna, Northwestern – just to name a few. In the midnight hours starting on the East Coast and moving West, the Common Application website,…
More College Admissions 101
Additional insights to answer the complex questions Hewlett Packard employees asked during our second College Admissions and Financial Aid Brown Bag Lunch, since we were limited in our discussion time last week. Each topic is bolded, with the details listed below: College Application Essays The autobiographical college application essays are a meaningful part of any…
Is College Financial Aid Really Aid?
The difference between the value of college, indicated by price and intrinsic worth, and what a family feels they can afford to pay creates the need for financial aid. But, college bound buyer beware: NOT ALL FINANCIAL AID AWARDED BY THE UNIVERSITY IS ACTUALLY AID.