The College Unraveled Blog
A is for the bank account you’ll want to open. Choose a bank with offices near both your home and your college, so your parents can easily add money.
B is for the budget. Create a realistic one that allows for unexpected expenses.
C stands for credit rating. Be wary of building up balances...
As financial aid packages arrive, families are faced with just how much college will cost. At many schools, self-help is up and gift aid is down. That means that colleges are offering less in the way of tuition discounts or grants, and expect families to assume a greater part of the college...
If your first choice college offers everything you want, but the price tag is daunting, don’t give up hope; consider appealing the award. While colleges and universities won’t encourage it, the financial aid officers are empowered to make adjustments, if warranted.
To appeal,...
If you’ve applied for financial aid and filed all the paperwork by the appropriate deadline, an award letter outlining a college’s offer of financial assistance should arrive close on the heels of your notification of acceptance. Here’s a guide to understanding what that package...
Money should never stop anyone from attending college! Yes, college can be expensive, but there are resources available to help you and your family pay for college. Major sources of financial aid for college include:
Grants
Grants are “gifts” from the government and from individual...
Money often plays a significant factor in pursuing a college degree, but hopefully, it will not stop anyone from attending college! Yes, college can be expensive, but aid is available to help you and your family pay for college. Significant sources of financial aid for college include:
Grants...
The bulk of college financial aid money comes from the federal government; this aid is distributed by colleges using information supplied by fam when they complete the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid), available on October 1st. About 240 colleges, universities, and scholarship...
The FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is the primary form used by colleges to determine eligibility for need-based aid. A small number of colleges will not even consider an applicant for merit aid unless that student has first submitted a FAFSA. The FAFSA should be filed as soon as...
As any parent can tell you, the college application process can be one of the most challenging and stressful periods a student and parent will ever experience. It's only natural to want to help your child as much as possible throughout this process. But, as much as parents want to be involved in...
Studying in a foreign country can seem intimidating, but there are ways to prepare and ensure everything goes according to plan. Studies have shown that students who participate in foreign learning programs often feel the experience helps them excel in the job market, so it's not an opportunity...
There are so many moving parts to a student’s search for the ‘right’ college location, academic options, student services, clubs, and organizations, career preparations – but none of them matters if a family cannot afford that outstanding education. Attending college is a...
While the Ivies and other elite schools put their resources into need-based rather than merit aid, a majority of private colleges, in an effort to attract top students, award substantial scholarships or grants based on merit.
Merit scholarships are beneficial in attracting students whose...
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