financial-aid
Somewhere between the excitement of your acceptance letter and the rush to confirm your enrollment, a financial aid office is going to put a document in front of you that commits your future self to years of monthly payments. You'll probably sign it in about thirty seconds. Most
financial-aid
If you're applying to certain private colleges -- and some of the most well-known ones -- you're going to hit a wall where the FAFSA isn't enough. Those schools also require something called the CSS Profile, and it asks for financial information the FAFSA
financial-aid
If you're applying to certain private colleges -- and some of the most well-known ones -- you're going to hit a wall where the FAFSA isn't enough. Those schools also require something called the CSS Profile, and it asks for financial information the FAFSA
financial-aid
Most people don't know you can do this. Or they've heard you can but assume it only works for students with perfect test scores or families who are already well-connected. Neither of those things is true. Financial aid appeals are a normal part of the process.
financial-aid
Most people don't know you can do this. Or they've heard you can but assume it only works for students with perfect test scores or families who are already well-connected. Neither of those things is true. Financial aid appeals are a normal part of the process.
financial-aid
You just got into a school you actually want to attend, and a few days later a financial aid award letter shows up. It looks official. It has a lot of numbers. It uses phrases like "your aid package" in a way that makes it sound like someone
financial-aid
You just got into a school you actually want to attend, and a few days later a financial aid award letter shows up. It looks official. It has a lot of numbers. It uses phrases like "your aid package" in a way that makes it sound like someone
financial-aid
You've done the work. You filed the FAFSA, you understand your Student Aid Index, and you know the formula that produces it. Now you're staring at financial aid offers from different schools, and the numbers don't make sense. One school seems generous. Another seems
financial-aid
You've done the work. You filed the FAFSA, you understand your Student Aid Index, and you know the formula that produces it. Now you're staring at financial aid offers from different schools, and the numbers don't make sense. One school seems generous. Another seems
financial-aid
By this point in the series, you understand what the FAFSA does and how the Student Aid Index works. Now comes the part most people skip: strategy. The financial aid system isn't a black box that spits out one immovable number. There are decisions you can make — legally,
financial-aid
By this point in the series, you understand what the FAFSA does and how the Student Aid Index works. Now comes the part most people skip: strategy. The financial aid system isn't a black box that spits out one immovable number. There are decisions you can make — legally,
financial-aid
You filed the FAFSA, waited a few weeks, and then got a number back that made you want to close your laptop and walk into the ocean. Your family earns a normal income, lives in a normal house, and somehow the federal government thinks you can contribute tens of thousands