The College Solutions Blog

October 5, 2012

I’d love to hear from parents who have tried using the net price calculators that nearly every college and university must post on their websites. Have you had good experiences or have the net price calculators tried to trick you into believing that a school is going to be affordable? I’ll mention why I am asking in a minute. First...

September 28, 2012

Many of the misconceptions that people possess about the college process revolve around financial aid. So with the college admission season heading into high gear, I am sharing the four financial aid myths that are probably the most common. Myth No. 1:  I make too much money to qualify for aid. You shouldn’t automatically assume that you won’t qualify for...

September 21, 2012

During a workshop that I held this summer, a mom interrupted me when I was talking about a College Board search engine that parents can use when they are looking for the schools that provide the best need-based financial aid. “What if you’re not going to qualify for financial aid?” the mom asked. “Is there a search engine that will...

September 19, 2012

When families look at financial aid packages they often assume that a school’s financial aid support will remain the same for four years. That, however, is a dangerous assumption to make. The financial support that some colleges and universities give students will shrink after their freshmen year even as their yearly costs continue to rise. Checking Aid Packages Why would...

September 14, 2012

A report released on Wednesday from the U.S. Census Bureau documents what a lot of people have been feeling for many years. Household income has been eroding for so long that it has now fallen to levels last seen in 1995. Median household income is now at an inflation-adjusted $50,054, which is 8.9 percent below its all-time high of $54,932...

August 26, 2012

This is the time of year when parents are stressing about paying for their child’s college tab. I’ve been hearing from parents who haven’t been able to borrow enough for college. I thought I’d share one of these emails. A Mom’s Dilemma Here is the mom’s note: I would like to know what to do if you don’t qualify for...

August 9, 2012

The unrelenting cost of college is hitting upper-middle-class families hard. According to a front-page analysis today in The Wall Street Journal, it’s these families who are experiencing the largest rise in college-loan debt. In its analysis, the newspaper categorized upper-middle-income as households with yearly incomes in the 80th to 90th percentiles that range from $94,000 to $205,000. Among families with...

August 7, 2012

When students are developing their college lists, most of them (unless their parents are wealthy and don’t mind writing monster checks) should be paying attention to the net price of all their school picks.  Net price is what a school will cost you after scholarships and grants are deducted. An email that I received from a mom over the weekend...

July 18, 2012

How do you find colleges with the best financial aid? One way to simplify your search for colleges is to look for the institutions that typically meet the highest percentage of financial need. Of course, the best scenario is for your child to get accepted into a school that meets 100% of all its students’ demonstrated financial needs. Here’s an...

July 10, 2012

Today I’m sharing an email from a mom from New Mexico, who is understandably stressed about the college bill she is gearing up to face for the third of her four children. I’ve got my own thoughts, but I’d love to hear what advice you might give this family. A Mom’s Question Here is the mother’s note: Do colleges take...