Take the ACT or SAT to reduce college costs
When we were getting ready for college a couple decades ago, taking the ACT or SAT was required. With the disrupting influence of COVID-19, today many colleges have gone “test optional“, which means they do not require taking and reporting the ACT or SAT to consider you for acceptance at…
Timely student loan news: IDR and Public Service consolidation timeline extended to April 2024
What is consolidation? Consolidation is bringing all of your federal loans, including some that previously had not been eligible for specific types of consideration, into the forgiveness picture. Who should consider consolidation? Consolidation is a technique being used right now for federal student loans that are going to be repaid…
January is the new December – FAFSA deadlines for 2023 aka 2024
It wasn’t all that long ago that I posted this: However, instead of December 1st, the new timeline for the “2023” opening of the FAFSA form for those who will be college next fall is now December 31st; effectively January 2024. And I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more…
Student loan administrative forbearance – the student loan pause continues for some
If you have federal student loans, your required loan payments may not have resumed in October as originally scheduled. Instead, your loan servicer may have set your payment to $0, and put you in administrative forebearance. What is administrative forbearance? Administrative forbearance is a status a servicer may put you…
Minnesota and Federal student loan forgiveness and repayment programs for health care workers
Public service loan forgiveness isn’t the only way to get your student loans forgiven, depending on your profession and employer. Already this fall we covered hospital registered nurse loan forgiveness through a new Minnesota program. Next we’re going to cover a few other existing programs in Minnesota and elsewhere. Minnesota…
Minnesota hospital registered nurses loan forgiveness
Public service loan forgiveness isn’t the only way to get your student loans forgiven, depending on your profession and employer. Hospital registered nurses at non-profit hospitals got a boost in 2023 when Minnesota added a loan forgiveness program for them. Unlike federal programs, the Minnesota programs have limited application cycles…
December is the new October – FAFSA timelines 2023
Typically, October 1st is the first day you can complete the FAFSA each fall, for your student who will be in college the following August. In 2023, because of the transition from the Expected Family Contribution to the Student Aid Index, and the changes to the FAFSA form, the government…
“An antidote to the college admissions mania”
While Dr. Seuss’ book “Oh the Places You’ll Go” is a popular high school graduation gift, when it comes to paying for college, I think it’s more important to have had discussions with 9th and 10th graders about “Where You Go Is Not Who You’ll Be: An antidote to the…
Book review – “Visual Thinking”
I read the Temple Grandin, PhD book “Visual Thinking”, and wanted to share my thoughts on it with you. Your first thought may be “Why this book? This doesn’t seem like anything to do with personal finance.” And directly, you’re right. Indirectly, it’s quite related – in terms of learning…
Book Review – “The Case Against Education”
We all know that college is expensive. It is one of the largest expenses an individual will face, and often it’s the first of the major ones in their lifetime – made at a time when social pressures and a lack of experience are more likely than ever to push…