The Pay for College BlogThe Pay for College BlogTips from Fox College Funding founder, Deborah Fox to help you reduce the cost of college. Deborah shares info on student loans, student discounts, getting the most financial aid, and other little-known information to help you pay less for college. 
Articles
The Non-Financial Value of a College Education
2008-06-05 17:57:00 As parents, we spend a lot of time worrying about the college “investment.” We want to get the most for our money, and we want the dollars we spend for school now to become life-style sustaining incomes for our children later. More and more high school graduates continue on to college at least in ... More About: Education , College , Financial
5 More Easy & Unexpected Ways to Find College Money
2008-06-02 18:25:00 If you’re a regular reader of the Pay for College Blog, you know that I am a huge proponent of finding ways to increase your cash flow to help offset your college costs. Simply find a way to save money in one place (or many places!), and funnel it into your college funding strategy. Having ... More About: Money , Find , Easy
Curfews & College: Rule Changes for Students at Home
2008-05-29 18:28:00 Freedom is one of the biggest draws for living away from home. Most students look forward to finally escaping curfews, chores and the other demands of living under a parent’s roof. But what do you do when your son or daughter comes home for the weekend, winter break or even for the whole summer? ... More About: College , Students , Home , Rule
How Choosing the ?Right? College Can Save You Money
2008-05-27 18:43:00 Choosing the “right” college can be a huge challenge for students (and their parents!) but it is worth the effort! In fact, if there is one sure-fire way to waste money on college: Send your student to a college that isn’t a good fit (academically, culturally or socially!) How Students Choose a College For many ... More About: Money , Save
Hundreds of Astrive Student Loan Checks Bounce
2008-05-20 17:36:00 Hundreds of student borrowers are suffering as the current credit crunch continues to spread through the student loan industry-loan checks of up to $10,000 sent to them by one private lender are bouncing. Follow the Bouncing Check Late-night TV watchers may have caught Astrive Student Loan s’ catchy, teen-friendly adverts-they’re all about making it easier to pay for ... More About: Bounce
New Peer-to-Peer Student Loan Site Launches
2008-05-15 23:00:00 It looks like everyone is trying to get a piece of the student-loan pie these days-even the investing public. A new peer-to-peer (also known as “P2P”) lending site called Fynanz is now offering students the opportunity to borrow from individuals instead of from companies-but is this a safe (or practical) move? How it Works The basic ... More About: Student , Peer-to-peer , Loan , Site , Peer
A College Choice!
2008-05-10 04:07:00 For those of you who have been following my personal journey through the college admissions process with my high school senior, I am pleased to report that my son has chosen to attend Carnegie Mellon in the fall. Our family is very excited and I am very proud of my son for choosing an option ... More About: College , Choice
DOE Plans ?Emergency Survey? of College Loans
2008-05-02 18:18:00 If you aren’t aware of the major changes sweeping the student loan market-and how they could affect your family–read on! Over the past few weeks, the highly desirable federal student loans from private lenders-who tend to offer favorable rate discounts–have become harder to come by. The combination of the unstable credit markets and the effects ... More About: College , Loans , Survey , Plans , Emergency
Acceptances Letter Are In: Comparison Shopping Month Begins!
2008-04-10 18:07:00 Families with incoming freshman all over the country are now faced with the sometimes daunting task of trying to decide which offer of admissions their student should accept. Some students have been accepted to their hands-down-first-choice school. They have the easy job of only having to decide what style of stamp they want ... More About: Shopping , Letter , Comparison , Month
Wait for a Wait-List, Pay More for College
2008-04-08 19:27:00 With the “baby boom” generation’s children graduating high school in record numbers (3.2 million last year alone!) it is no surprise that college applications have increased proportionally. This year college admissions offices have reported a deluge of applications-Princeton’s were up by 6%, Rice by 11%, Harvard’s by 19%, and Vanderbilt’s by a staggering 30%! Wait ing and Wait-List ing While ... More About: College
Housing Rebates for Good Grades: Is it Worth It?
2008-03-27 15:00:00 You may have heard of “good student” discounts from companies-such as auto insurance–but what about from the colleges themselves? The University of Oklahoma plans to do just that with their new “Academic Success Rebate Program,” which will mean partial cash rebates on housing costs for upper-classmen and grad students with high GPAs. The goal is to get ... More About: Housing , Grades , Worth , Rebates , Good
Perfect Applications are Red Flags for College Admissions
2008-03-25 17:13:00 Competition for college entrance has gotten fierce-more students than ever are applying to college, and that means there is more pressure to stand out. Some families hire admissions consultants or essay specialists, and according to the Boston Globe, this has admissions officers worried. With so much help available to college-bound students, admissions committees at especially ... More About: Applications , College , Perfect , College Admissions
A Whole New Twist on ?Summer School?
2008-03-20 16:31:00 While some high school students wile away their summer hours by the pool or beach, others are jumping in to the college game early by attending a “precollege program.” These programs–like summer camps with a collegiate twist–give students ages 15-16 the opportunity to try college life on for size. Ranging from about 2 to 6 ... More About: Summer , School , Summer School , Twist
Sticky Situation for Student Loan Borrowers
2008-03-18 00:12:00 As if we haven’t already seen enough trouble popping up in the student loan industry (see here, here, here, and here!) it looks like more problems are here.Responding to recent loss rates, private loan lenders are raising rates and changing requirements, making it more difficult for some students to even get private loans (this is ... More About: Student , Loan , Situation
Over-Applying to College Could Mean Lower Admission Odds
2008-03-11 16:48:00 Though your student may not think so, it is much easier to apply to college now than ever before. Gone are the days of filing and mailing each application individually. The advent of the Common Application and, new this year, the Universal College Application, means students can apply to over 300 schools with ... More About: Lower , Odds
What Will (and Won?t) Get You in to College
2008-03-06 17:56:00 What exactly are admissions officers looking for in a college applicant? Is it simply a matter of grades, test scores, and a promptly filed application? Admissions officers from several colleges provided a peak into what will-and won’t-help students increase their odds of receiving “the big envelope” come spring. The “Dos” Admissions officers definitely gave the highest weighting ... More About: College
Savvy Students Get Others to Pay Off Their Loans
2008-03-03 17:39:00 Unfortunately, graduating with student loan debt seems to be an ever-increasing trend; and with college costs rising at two times the rate of inflation, it’s understandable. The trouble is, even with a steady job, high amounts of debt may be difficult for new graduates to handle. A Different Path For a lucky few who qualify for ... More About: Loans , Students , Savvy
Prepare for the SAT–for Less (or for FREE)!
2008-02-25 23:57:00 Is your student trying to get ready for the SAT? He or she has a lot of study options, even if you don’t want to drop hundreds of dollars on an SAT prep course. Take a look at these wallet-friendly alternatives to formal classroom prep or one-on-one tutoring options. Remember, a 100 or 200 point increase in test score can be a tipping point in getting admitted or, even better yet, qualifying for a scholarship! College Board’s Free SAT Practice Test The College Board, which offers the official SAT itself, is currently offering the 2007-2008 SAT Practice test for free on their website (click here). Students can take the test, submit the answers, and get their score PLUS detailed explanations and sample essays. You can also check out their other SAT prep features, such as the SAT Word of the Day at College Board’s SAT Preparation Center. Cost: Free! Number2.com’s SAT Prep Number2.com is a free SAT prep website (they get their funding from sponsorships). S...
Parents & Finance 101: Who?s Going to Pay for This?
2008-02-15 18:18:00 I touched on this way back in July-financial independence is an important part of adulthood, and, as I wrote then, far too many students and adults find themselves with “too much month at the end of the money.” Now is the perfect time to start your son or daughter on the path to financial independence. ... More About: Finance , Parents
Find Your Perfect Match With Quirky Scholarships
2008-02-11 17:35:00 Private scholarships are generally much easier to win if the competition pool is small. That?s why I often advise students to search out local scholarships?they automatically have a smaller group of eligible applicants than do national scholarship competitions. However, another way to narrow down your odds is to find quirky scholarships. Most scholarship search ... More About: Find , Match , Perfect , Scholarships
Paying for Grades: The Good, the Bad, and the Better
2008-02-07 18:49:00 It isn?t just parents who pay students for good grades anymore: A recent trend in several states shows schools, companies, and philanthropists shelling out monetary rewards to children who study more, score higher on tests, or get better grades. A slew of programs have popped up in cities?and even entire states?nationwide. Some students as ... More About: Grades , Good , The Good
Study Proves It?All-Nighters are Bad for Grades (and may subsequently lead
2008-02-05 17:53:00 It might seem like common sense that pulling an all-nighter might not be the best way to score high on an exam or essay?and it seems to be a ritual college students are resigned to experiment with. Professor Pamela Thatcher of St. Lawrence University has actually scientifically proven that a student?s quality of sleep can ... More About: Study , Grades , Lead
College and Web 2.0 ? Professors Take on YouTube
2008-01-31 18:05:00 Once littered mostly with cute videos of kittens, amateur skateboard tricks and other fluff, it seems YouTube is now finally making its way into the world of academia. Just last month I told you where to find UC Berkeley lectures on YouTube. Since then, several other prominent colleges have joined the YouTube ranks, allowing professors ... More About: Youtube , College , Fess
Wanted: More ?Helicopter Parents? for College Students
2008-01-28 20:44:00 You?ve probably heard stories of college ?helicopter parents??those moms and dads who ?hover? around and just can?t seem to keep out of their children?s business. Maybe you?ve heard of them calling the Dean to complain about their student?s roommate, or emailing professors insisting that they re-grade midterms. While these examples are extreme cases, colleges are ... More About: College , Students , Parents , Helicopter , Wanted
My FAFSA Assistant: Your Ticket to Affordable Help With the FAFSA
2008-01-17 00:36:00 It?s that time again! The last holiday decorations are finally put away, the kids are back in school, and the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (a.k.a. the ?FAFSA?) is online and ready to be filed. But don?t panic! For the first time ever, there is a new tool available for affordable ... More About: Ticket , Assistant
Life 101: What Your Student Needs to Know Now
2008-01-07 19:36:00 Time is ticking by faster than ever - proms, Senior Week, graduation and summer will be here before you know it - so your time to prepare your son or daughter for college is short! Feeling a little overwhelmed? Here are some ideas to help you start preparing during the last half ... More About: Life , Student , Needs
Students Use Credit Cards for Unmet College Funds
2008-01-03 17:31:00 Do you know when and how your child is using credit cards? What if your student had racked up thousands of dollars worth of credit card debt-to pay for college! According to The Baltimore Sun, that’s what has happened to over half of the students attending college in Maryland. When financial aid doesn’t help ... More About: Credit Cards , Credit , College , Students , Cards
College Interviews Require Students to Think Fast on Their Feet
2007-12-24 14:30:00 An in-person college interview can provide a big advantage to a student in the college admissions process. After all, it’s difficult for any student to communicate their true personality and essence on an electronic or paper application. If your student is able to interview with an admissions officer or alumnus, I would highly recommend you ... More About: Interviews , College , Students , Feet , Fast
Five Ways to Raise More Financially Savvy Kids
2007-12-20 20:08:00 Let?s face it: your children?s spending habits could be one of the biggest challenges you have in paying for college. I found one of Jonathan Clements? thoughts from his recent WSJ article 12 Ways to Make Your Kids Financially Savvy inspiring: ?[Teaching kids about finances] isn’t simply about coughing up dollars and cents… what ...
Harvard Offers Financial Aid to Families Making $180,000 or Less
More articles from this author:2007-12-18 17:59:00 For a while it seemed that affluent or the lower income could ?afford? a high-quality education at an elite college?the affluent because they have the funds to pay, the lower income because they could count on more financial aid. The middle-income families, however, seemed left to fend for themselves. Happily, Harvard announced a plan last week ... More About: Financial , Offers , Families , Financial Aid 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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