Student Loans

Should You Apply for Financial Aid?
Are you wondering if you should apply for financial aid? For most families, the answer will be yes. You should file for financial aid. Here are three key reasons why families of any income level should apply for aid by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid: 1. The FAFSA is free. The FAFSA […]
8Nov2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Qualifying as an Independent Student
I periodically get emails from teenagers, who are freaking out because their parents plan to contribute little if anything to their college education. Many of these kids are from affluent families, who could afford to kick in far more than they are planning. I don’t understand parents with good paying jobs who have no problem […]
27Oct2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | Continued
Should Parents Help Pay for College?
Should parents help pay for college? For a lot of people who visit my college blog this is going to seem like a no brainer. There are, however, parents who are determined to foist the whole cost of college onto their kids. I can certainly understand why a mom or dad, who makes little money, […]
4Oct2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | Continued
The Biggest Thing Since College Rankings
Do you use Expedia, Orbitz or Travelocity when you book a flight or find a rental car? Have you used Zillow when you’re searching for a house or Carfax when looking for a used Honda? Using these website and others like it has made buying all sorts of stuff easier. One big ticket item, however, […]
1Oct2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | ContinuedCoconuts and College
I knew I was in a foreign country today when I looked outside my hotel window and saw a billboard that contained this message: Be health conscience. Eat a coconut every day. I’m in Jamaica, where I’ll be the featured (and apparently heavily promoted) speaker at a first annual college conference in Kingston. What could […]
15Sep2010 | Lynn | 0 comments | ContinuedHow Generous Is This College?
How can you tell if a college or university will cut the price for your child? You can get an idea by looking at a school’s Common Data Set. If you don’t know what a Common Data Set is, you’ll want to read the posts that I wrote last week on this valuable document: Researching […]
5Sep2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued
Get a Free Copy of an Amazon College Bestseller
Stressed about paying for college? Then you’re the right demographic for a new book, Debt-Free U: How I Paid for an Outstanding College Education Without Loans, Scholarships, or Mooching Off My Parents. Zac Bissonnette, who is an editor and writer at AOL Finance, wrote Debt-Free and, get this this, he’s a college student. Debt-Free U […]
30Aug2010 | Lynn | 18 comments | Continued
College Loan Debt Just Passed Credit Card Debt!
Americans now owe more money on their college loans than they do on credit cards. I just read about that scary reality on The Wall Street Journal’s website. According to Mark Kantrowitz, the financial aid guru over at FinAid and Fastweb, Americans owe about $829.7 billion in student loans. In comparison, consumers owe $826.5 billion […]
9Aug2010 | Lynn | 5 comments | Continued
Get The College Solution for Free
I just learned from my publisher that the Kindle edition of my book, The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price, will be free next week. That’s right, The College Solution on the Kindle will be FREE from Aug. 9 to Aug. 14. Normally the Kindle version […]
7Aug2010 | Lynn | 3 comments | ContinuedBorrowing for College With a Home Equity Loan
We’re approaching the peak of the student loan season. Parents and students are struggling with the prospects of paying for all their college costs. The best loan for students is the federal Direct Stafford Loan. Earlier this month, I wrote a post that provides lots of links to my past advice on student loans, as […]
12Jul2010 | Lynn | 1 comment | Continued