College costs, and by extension, student debt, have gotten out of hand. There are numerous ideas and opinions on how to best address the student loan crisis, ranging from federal debt forgiveness to universities shouldering part of the burden. Most of these strategies overlook the root of the issue. The solution that strikes me as…
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This post was originally published on March 28, 2019. It was updated on September 6, 2019. Putting the College Admissions Scandal in Perspective The recent college admissions scandal should give us all pause for thought. Most of us don’t appreciate those who cut in line or use wealth and power to influence what is perceived…
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The Texas Tuition Promise Plan Explained Saving for your child’s college education is one of the most daunting financial hurdles you will face. College costs continue to outpace general rates of inflation and they show no signs of slowing down any time soon. As a direct response to this, a handful of states have created…
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Test-Optional Admissions Defined If your student is not a skilled test-taker, we have great news for you. Now, more than ever, colleges are ending requirements that applicants must submit SAT or ACT scores. This new trend in college admissions is known as “test-optional.” A test-optional college lets students decide whether they want to submit their…
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In-State College Is Not Always Cheaper When I was in high school growing up in Vienna, VA, my parents told me “Tim, you can go to any school that you want……but it has to be in Virginia.” So, I did! The oldest of four, I proudly attended the University of Virginia, hoping to pave the…
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In recent weeks, the GI Bill has received new attention because of a major change that the Department of Defense implemented on July 12, 2019. The DOD instituted a 16-year cap barring members with longer service times from transferring their Post 9/11 GI Bill education benefits to a spouse or dependents. What is the Post…
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Tracking Expenses When it comes to college, many people often overlook or underestimate the costs above and beyond tuition. Housing, food, student fees, sporting event tickets, textbooks, and even gas— these miscellaneous expenses build up over time. A 2016 study found that 43 percent of students don’t track their spending, while 58 percent said they…
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The old saying goes “one bite at a time.” Paying for College One Bite at a Time We want to pose our own question today: Is college really that expensive? The short answer is…YES! College is a very large expense and if you have multiple kids going to school, it could end up costing more…
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Do Not Wait Until Senior Year I often hear from parents saying, “my son/daughter will start applying for scholarships in their senior year.” I have often wondered why. Senior year is a tale of two drastically opposed semesters. First semester is a frantic flurry of SAT/ACT’s and college applications, in addition to class work and…
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This article was originally published on March 16, 2013. It was updated on June 20, 2019. One of the biggest problems in planning to pay for college is that most parents simply don’t understand the rules of the game. And it’s not as if the colleges are doing a great job of teaching us the…
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