Category Archives: Student debt

admissions, college guidance, college planning, financial aid, parenting, Resources, Student debt, student loans

How to Help Your Teen Make the Final College Decision: A Parent’s Guide

Leave a comment
final college decision

The May 1 decision deadline is approaching and you and your student are carefully weighing your final college decision options:

  • Do you choose the least expensive college, but not the first choice?
  • Do you choose the college that costs more because it’s their first choice, knowing you are creating financial difficulties for your family?
  • Do you play it safe and commit to the college that gives the most aid, even though it was one of the “safe” ones on the list?
  • Do you take a deep breath and jump at the dream college, hoping you will find a way to pay for it?

Those were my family’s choices twenty years ago and although it was difficult for my daughter to accept, we learned some lessons along the way that might help you as the May 1 deadline approaches.

Continue reading How to Help Your Teen Make the Final College Decision: A Parent’s Guide →
FAFSA, financial aid, financial planning, merit aid, Resources, Student debt, student loans

Financial Aid Explained for Parents: FAFSA, Student Loans, Grants, Merit Aid & Award Letters

1 Comment

For many families, understanding financial aid feels more stressful than the college application process itself. Between unfamiliar terminology, changing FAFSA rules, and confusing award letters, parents often struggle to determine what college will actually cost.

This guide breaks down how financial aid works, what each type of aid means, and how parents can confidently compare college offers.

Continue reading Financial Aid Explained for Parents: FAFSA, Student Loans, Grants, Merit Aid & Award Letters →
college costs, college guidance, college planning, financial planning, parenting, Student debt

Is College Worth It? A Parent’s Guide to College ROI and Cost

2 Comments
is college worth it

If you’ve found yourself Googling “Is college worth it?” or “college ROI vs student debt,” you’re not alone.

As 2026 approaches, more parents and students are asking important questions. As college costs keep rising, parents nationwide are searching for answers about college ROI, student loan debt, and whether a degree still offers long-term value. For families with college-bound teens, understanding the true cost of college, and what return you can realistically expect, has become one of the most crucial financial decisions parents will make.

Let’s honestly discuss what “return on investment” truly means when it comes to college and how parents can evaluate it without turning the process into a math problem that takes away the joy of this milestone.

Continue reading Is College Worth It? A Parent’s Guide to College ROI and Cost →
admissions, financial aid, parenting, Student debt

When Your Teen Gets Into Their Dream College—But You Can’t Afford It

dream college
Image by Carla Bosteder from Pixabay

When my daughter opened the email, I saw the joy light up her face. Congratulations! She got in. She did it. Her dream college, the one she had been talking about for years, was offering her a spot.

For a moment, everything felt perfect.

I let myself soak in her excitement. I hugged her tightly. I even let myself imagine what it would be like—move-in day, walking around that beautiful campus, wearing the school sweatshirt with pride. I thought about all the years of hard work, the late-night study sessions, the endless applications, the moments of doubt she had overcome. This was supposed to be it.

Then, the financial aid package arrived.

Continue reading When Your Teen Gets Into Their Dream College—But You Can’t Afford It →
FAFSA, financial aid, Student debt, student loans

Will the Funding Freeze Impact Federal Direct Loans and Pell Grants?

funding freeze
Photo by Tim Gouw on Unsplash

There has been a fury of panic over the last several weeks as students and families received the news of federal funding freeze. Students all over Reddit were having meltdowns fearing they would not be able to finish college without this funding. That is not the case.

Continue reading Will the Funding Freeze Impact Federal Direct Loans and Pell Grants? →
financial planning, Student debt, student loans

Tips for Finding the Best Student Loan

student loan
Image by 3D Animation Production Company from Pixabay

For many students across the country, taking out a student loan is the only way they can afford to get the education they want and need.

While other options, like scholarships or financial aid, are available for students meeting the criteria for others whose parents can help them or can’t cover the entire four-year tuition, student loans can bridge the gap and are a necessary evil.

However, not all student loans are the same. Understanding the financial agreement you’re signing up for and knowing how to find the best student loans can empower you, giving you the control to avoid some of the common pitfalls of student loans and make more informed decisions. So here goes.

Continue reading Tips for Finding the Best Student Loan →
financial aid, financial planning, Student debt, student loans

Exploring the Various Types of Government Student Loans

government student loans

Government student loans play a significant role in providing financial assistance to students who aspire to achieve their academic goals.

Education is a key investment in one’s future, and for many students, financing their education becomes a crucial aspect of pursuing higher studies. With so much confusion these days over which government loans are best and what the difference is, I felt it was time to simplify it for you and create a list along with the specifics on each.

Following are the various types of government student loans available to students in the United States.

Continue reading Exploring the Various Types of Government Student Loans →
financial aid, financial planning, Student debt, student loans

Avoid High Student Loan Debt with these Financial Strategies

student loan debt

Paying for college today can be stressful. Reading all the posts from parents on Facebook underscores the fact that college is expensive and parents are trying to pay for it without borrowing or graduating with massive student loan debt.

According to the Education Data Initiative:

Student loan debt in the United States totals $1.766 trillion.

Continue reading Avoid High Student Loan Debt with these Financial Strategies →
Guest Posts, Student debt, student loans

Restoring Education’s Promise with Responsible Student Loan Borrowing

Today’s guest post is by Bob Collins, VP of Financial Aid at Western Governors University.

student loan borrowing

WGU students graduate with half the debt of their peers nationwide

Education is linked to the eradication of poverty and the promotion of prosperity, but evidence that college students graduate with excessive debt continues to pile up year after year. With student interest rates at their highest in the last decade, our current economy serves as a reminder that students should make informed decisions to borrow wisely.

Western Governors University (WGU) was established in 1997 with a mission to expand access to high-quality, online and affordable higher education. WGU serves more than 150,000 students nationwide and has more than 340,000 graduates in all 50 states.

Continue reading Restoring Education’s Promise with Responsible Student Loan Borrowing →
financial planning, Guest Posts, Student debt, student loans

Back to School: 9 Tips for Managing Your Finances

finances

With consumer finances facing further turbulence following the announcement of the August resumption of U.S. student loan repayment, young Americans are bracing themselves for a financial squeeze in advance of the holidays.

With evidence that shoppers are already showing caution – the savings experts at SimplyCodes have put together some practical money advice for young consumers on how to navigate an increasingly compressed disposable income and how to better manage student loan repayments being back on the list of monthly expenses.

Continue reading Back to School: 9 Tips for Managing Your Finances →