Applying for college financial aid is undoubtedly stressful for families. It can be even more stressful and confusing for divorced families. I have listed some simple rules to help demystify the process. The FAFSA and CSS Profile must be completed using the custodial parent’s information only. The custodial parent, for sake of financial aid, is the parent that the
Your student’s senior year of high school is now in full swing and they are diligently working on their college admission applications. As parents, we are starting to sweat a bit over the astronomical costs ahead. Instead of just worrying about it, we can do something productive and apply for financial aid. Every family with
Many of you have heard back from the schools your student has applied to and the response is that have been waitlisted because of a record number of applications. What do you do now? Your student can email the admissions office and let them know that this school is still their top choice, if that
Going through a divorce is tough, being divorced with kids is even tougher and being divorced with kids preparing for college can be brutal. Understanding the basics will help quell some of these anxieties. Keep in mind that all information provided on financial aid applications is kept separate and confidential. At no time do
Early Decision is an application process which involves a binding contract. Early decision is not to be confused with early action which is a non-binding application process. The term “binding” means that if the student is accepted through an early decision application, that student must attend that school as per the early decision contract and withdraw all other applications. The student
Know how stressful the college process is for your student. It starts early in 11th grade. Be their support. They really do not need more pressure from parents. Use tools like Naviance to understand where your students might fall in a pool of applicants. This can help you avoid setting them up for failure. Understand
This past weekend New York became the first state to make four year public colleges tuition free by approving the Excelsior Scholarship. The Excelsior Scholarship will cover the cost of tuition at SUNY, CUNY and community colleges for New York residents and it will go into effect this fall. While the cost of tuition will
“You are what you are, and you are not greater if you get into your first-choice school or less if you do not. You will make the best of life’s opportunities and your own gifts – if you believe in yourself. If you do not have confidence in yourself and respect for yourself, you will
I am now starting to see high school juniors and getting them prepared for what lies ahead. What I am finding is that parents are shocked at the amount of work that goes into applying to college, none the less, applying for financial aid. Things have changed drastically from when we went to college. To
An excellent article was recently published in Forbes explaining the process behind admissions and the manner in which financial aid is distributed. The research and findings in this article is something everyone should strongly consider when applying to colleges and for financial aid. Showing the school your ability to pay for college may actually put money back
