The College Solutions Blog

February 8, 2009

Have you ever heard of a college prereading an application? Probably not, but in this scary economic climate, prereads could become commonplace. I learned about prereads last week when I was reporting on a package of stories for a national media outlet on various financial aid strategies. When the articles are published in a month, I’ll provide the links from...

February 1, 2009

Now here’s something you haven’t heard reported in the news media this year: Many colleges and universities are slashing prices even further than they have in the past. Private schools, in particular, are worried that kids are crossing expensive schools off their lists because of the recession and the stock market implosion. Most parents assume that private schools are in...

January 30, 2009

I want to share part of the conversation that I had today with Barmak Nassirian, an official with the American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers. I am doing research for some stories on college so I called Barmak because he is one of the truly thoughtful and compassionate financial aid experts in the higher ed world. Barmak noted...

January 25, 2009

Do you wonder if your family will qualify for financial aid and how much you can expect? You may be in luck. Events are being held around the country in January and February to answer financial aid questions and help families obtain the most financial aid they can. At the events you can talk with financial aid administrators and receive...

January 4, 2009

Would you rather go to New York University or the University of Pennsylvania? If you must rely on financial aid to attend an elite school, NYU might not be in the cards. Why? Because NYU is incredibly stingy. At least on paper, Penn, along with a few other highly selective schools, will help 100% of the students who need it....

December 29, 2008

Even before the stock market imploded and the recession struck, students were finding it increasingly difficult to pay for college. Students are borrowing at higher levels than they ever had before. At least two out of three students leave school saddled with student debt. With the financial industry and others getting bailed out, higher ed leaders are wondering why students...

December 22, 2008

An increasing number of high school seniors are deciding to skip applying to private colleges and universities because they worry that the costs will be too high in these hard economic times. That was the gist of a story in today’s New York Times. While it’s always essential to apply to financial safety schools, families could be cutting off their...

December 19, 2008

Completing the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) can be intimidating for parents. That’s why rookies, in particular, should consider a practice run in filling out the document. With the FAFSA season nearly upon us — applications for the 2009-10 school will be available online on Jan. 1 — the federal government just posted its worksheet online. You can...

December 16, 2008

The double whammy of the recession and the stock market implosion is making the college matchmaking ritual even more tense. Is there anybody out there who is in better shape to pay for college today than a few months ago? I didn’t think so. Ways still remain to shrink the cost of college, but you have to toss aside at...

December 9, 2008

These are scary times for parents of teenagers. Saving for college was challenging enough before experts started comparing the stock market’s current implosion to the Great Depression. Many parents are reacting to the downturn by telling their teenagers to only apply to instate schools to save money. In some cases this is a wise decision, but public universities won’t always...