I have had some serious conversations recently with a parent and student who applied to college, was accepted, and was shocked at the cost. The parent didn’t want to disappoint her daughter. The daughter wanted desperately to go to an out of state college that would cost over $50,000 per year with no financial aid.
After speaking with the daughter at length, she decided to defer for a year, work, save her money and apply for scholarships. Taking out loan was not appealing to either of them and I completely agreed.
Parents and students should consider college funding even before their student applies to college. The inevitable result is the parents and students borrowing to pay and usually borrowing more than they can repay after graduation.
Financial aid can be a confusing part of the college application process. Even if you can afford to pay for college, it’s a good idea to learn what aid is available and apply for it. You aren’t obligated to accept it, but most students qualify for some form of aid and, if it’s available, why not use it?
What is financial aid?
Financial aid is intended to make up the difference between what your family can afford to pay and what college actually costs. With college tuition rising rapidly, more than half of the students currently enrolled in college receive some sort of financial aid to help pay for college. The system is based on the premise that anyone should be able to attend college, regardless of financial circumstances. However, students and their families are expected to contribute to the extent that they are able.
There are two types of aid: need-based, and non need-based. Need-based aid includes grants and scholarships that are issued based on the family’s ability to contribute to education costs. Non-need-based aid is allocated solely based on availability, not need.
There are three main types of financial aid: grants and scholarships, loans and work study.
What is “free” money?
Not all aid is equal and the best aid is the aid you don’t have to pay back. It’s like getting a huge coupon of savings to use for your college education. Here are the types of aid you can receive that you won’t have to pay back after graduation:
Federal Grants – These are grants given by the federal government.
Pell Grant – This grant is given to students with exceptional financial need.
College Grants – These grants are awarded by the individual colleges based on financial need.
State Grants – These grants are given to students who plan to attend college in their own state (and states are strict about residency).
Private Scholarships – There are a multitude of private scholarships available awarded by private organizations and businesses for every type of student.
Institutional Scholarships – These scholarships are given by individual colleges based on the student’s qualifications or financial need.
Federal Scholarships – Scholarships funded by government agencies.
Tuition Waiver – This waiver is offered by colleges to students who meet specific criteria (e.g. child of a POW/MIA)
There are two types of government-based loans: subsidized and unsubsidized. Subsidized loans have lower interest rates and are awarded based on the student’s financial need with interest deferred until after graduation. Unsubsidized loans are awarded without regard to financial need with interest payments beginning immediately and regular payments due after graduation. Following is a brief description of each:
Stafford Loan – Government based loans that can be either subsidized or unsubsidized.
PLUS (Federal Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students) – This loan is for creditworthy parents and has payments due beginning 60 days after it is disbursed with relatively low interest rates.
Private Loan – Loan offered by private lenders usually with higher interest rates than government loans.
Institutional Loan – A loan in which the school is the lender.
Once you have chosen the loan that best fits your needs, do the research and educate yourself about repayment, interest rates and grace periods.
To learn more about work study, the FAFSA, the EFC and award letters, read the entire article I wrote for TeenLife Online Magazine here.
With a new school year quickly approaching,
many parents are figuring out how their child is going to afford college.
According to CollegeBoard, the average student budget for the 2019-20 academic
year was $26,590 for students attending a four-year university. This figure
includes the cost of living on campus, which may be required of incoming freshman students.
This means your child’s education could cost
well over six figures. And no parent wants their child to start their adult
life with that amount of debt.
As a parent, you can help guide your child to make smart decisions
that will impact their finances for years to come. This begins with choosing an
affordable school.
There are also other ways to help pay for the
cost of attendance and living expenses. Here’s how to help fund college costs
and ways to borrow wisely.
Apply for financial aid
opportunities before borrowing
Before you or your child
take on debt to pay for college, you should exhaust all other available
resources.
Your child can access financial aid opportunities, like grants, scholarships and work-study programs, by
completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
The FAFSA filing window
is October 1 to June 30 for each upcoming academic year. Keep in mind that some
financial aid is available on a first-come, first-serve basis, and cutoff
deadlines vary by state. Encourage your child to complete their application as
early as possible.
Also explore third-party
scholarship opportunities through your employer, local community organizations and
online databases. Each additional scholarship or grant — even if it is only for
a few hundred dollars — can prevent your child from taking on more student loan
debt.
How to borrow wisely for college
Once your family has explored all financial
aid opportunities and pooled existing resources (e.g. 529 college savings plan
and other family contributions), your child may still need to turn to student
loans.
Whether your child is taking out loans in
their own name or you’re borrowing on their behalf, it’s important that your
family only borrow what is needed to fill the remaining financial gap.
The first way to approach student loans is
through federal loans. Federal loans have more flexibility and have certain
protections and benefits. This is why it’s best to maximize federal loan
opportunities before taking out private loans.
For example, your child can enroll in a
repayment plan that matches their financial situation and may be eligible for
loan forgiveness opportunities.
Your child should borrow funds in this order:
Direct Subsidized Loans.
Subsidized loans typically have the lowest rates, and the government will
cover any interest that accrues while your child is in school.
Direct Unsubsidized Loans.
Unsubsidized loans aren’t need-based, so any student can qualify for them.
However, your child is responsible for the interest that accrues during
school.
Private loans. Your child
will likely need a cosigner to qualify for a private loan. Shop around
with various private lenders to find the lowest rate and best terms for
your credit.
You may also have the option to take out a
federal Parent PLUS loan in your name to help fund your child’s
education.You’ll be solely financially responsible for the loan — not your
child.
Make a debt repayment plan
Student loan borrowers
should always be aware of interest charges that will accrue during school and
after graduation. These charges should be included in their overall financial
plan.
Your child should also start making a debt
repayment plan as soon as possible. Popular student loan repayment methods
include enrolling in an income-driven repayment (IDR) plan or refinancing student loans after graduation to
get a lower interest rate.
When considering refinancing federal loans
into private student loans, it’s important to understand the consequences of
losing out on federal benefits and protections, like loan forgiveness and
forbearance.
The earlier your child plans for their educational costs, the more likely they can save money during their college experience and beyond.
Our guest post today is by Travis Hornsby, CFA, and Founder and CEO of Student Loan Planner. He lives with his wife in St. Louis, MO, where he loves thinking up new student loan repayment strategies and frequenting the best free zoo in America. As one of the nation’s leading student loan experts, he has consulted on $500 million of student debt personally.
I
received an email from a concerned parent whose student was going to be
attending orientation next week. In the email, he confessed that he might need
some help with information regarding financing his son’s college education. I was
surprised that he waited so long. Unfortunately, I had to advise him that at
this point his only options were private loans and advise his student to apply
for scholarships over the summer.
Parents should consider college funding even before their student applies to college. The inevitable result of lack of planning is parents and students borrowing to pay and usually borrowing more than they can repay after graduation.
What
do the statistics say?
With
school starting shortly, student loan borrowing often appears in the news. It’s
especially prevalent now with presidential candidates promising to erase
student loan debt. Wherever you stand in the political landscape, it’s clear
from the statistics that students have borrowed more than they can repay.
According
to a 2018 report by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, as many as 44.7
million Americans have student loan debt, that’s one in five adult
Americans. The total amount of student loan debt is $1.47 trillion as
of the end of 2018 — more than credit cards or auto loans.
How
do you make wise financial choices?
Before applying to college, you and your student should investigate the cost. You can gather the information either on the college website or by using College Navigator. When viewing these figures, you should also research the college’s financial aid statistics—what percentage of students are awarded aid, how much aid is awarded and how much do students typically borrow. Since every family’s financial situation is different, these figures should help determine if the college is affordable to attend.
How
does financial aid play into the equation?
If
you complete the FAFSA, your student will receive some form of financial aid.
The most common is student loans, but colleges also award grants and merit aid
as well. Always complete the FAFSA, even if you don’t think you will qualify
for aid. Colleges use the information on the FAFSA when awarding scholarships
and grants. No FAFSA, no aid.
What’s the key to avoid borrowing too much?
Use repayment calculators before you sign on the dotted line. The rule of thumb is that students should only borrow as much to pay for college as their first year’s salary. By keeping your debt under one year’s salary, you won’t have to put more than about 10% of your income towards student loan payments. Borrowing more than your student can afford to repay sets them up for overwhelming debt after graduation. Your student can look at salary comparisons for their anticipated career at PayScale.com.
How
can you avoid borrowing to pay for college?
The key to not borrowing to pay for college is to receive merit aid, grants, and outside scholarships. Your student should apply to a college at the top of his or her applicant pool. This means the college will be more likely to award aid to attract your student. Grades and standardized test scores are also a key factor in awarding aid. Your student should focus throughout college to pursue excellence in these areas. And, don’t forget outside scholarships. Your student should focus time and effort in applying to every scholarship he or she qualifies for. This means starting early and planning to submit the best application. Click here for scholarship application tips and see how your student can win enough money to pay for college.
Finally, borrow wisely. Only borrow what you need. Your student can borrow the maximum amount, but only borrow what is necessary. Just because you can, doesn’t mean you should. Choose the loans with the lowest interest rates first.
It’s been in the news—Bernie Sanders has introduced a bill
to cancel student loan debt. I don’t want to share any political viewpoints
here. I want to express what this communicates to the past and future
generations of students.
To the past generation of students
I have two children who incurred student loan debt. One of them worked hard to pay hers off. The other is still paying his. My daughter got good grades in high school, earned scholarships and borrowed wisely. After high school, my son entered the military and after completing four years of service used the G.I Bill to pay for some of his education. For the rest, he did not borrow wisely. He chose to attend an expensive college that he could not afford, and he will be the first to tell you he made a mistake.
But he won’t say his debt should be cancelled. And my
daughter, who worked hard to pay hers off, will feel this is a slap in her
face. They both had choices and have lived with those choices. No one forced
either of them to go to a college that required them to take out student loans.
It was their choice and they take responsibility for it.
Students who have worked hard to pay off their debt or made a choice to attend a college they could afford are outraged by the thought that others will not have to pay back their debt. It’s unfair and communicates the wrong message. Why should those who worked hard to pay their debt off have to pay for those who will not?
To the future generation of students
College is expensive and the cost of an education is rising
every year. But teaching your children to make wise financial choices is a
crucial part of parenting. Not every student needs to go to an expensive
college. There are less expensive alternatives, colleges that allow students to
work while they attend, and scholarships available to help pay for college.
Forgiving all student loan debt teaches future students that
it’s not important to make wise financial choices. It teaches them that
everyone deserves a free ride and hard work is not rewarded. We are raising a generation
of new leaders that will soon forget that hard work and sacrifice reaps reward.
Why work hard if you can get it for free? Why pay off the debt you incurred due
to unwise financial choices if the government is going to step up and forgive
it?
My opinion
If I’m honest, I would love for my son’s student loans to be forgiven. But I know, as a parent, that is not the best for him, and he would agree; he borrowed the money and he should have to repay it. We must teach future generations there are consequences to actions and this includes incurring debt that you cannot repay. It simply comes down to the fact that we all have a free will and can choose to spend more than we can repay or save and borrow wisely. It’s something my parents taught me and because of wise financial choices, they paid for what they could afford and saved for what they could not.
At some point, everyone is responsible for their own choices. Those students who worked hard and paid for college without incurring debt should be rewarded. Those who incurred debt, should be held accountable and required to repay it. It’s a tough pill to swallow but a lesson we all need to learn in life.
With many students overburdened with debt after graduation and parents stretching to pay for college beyond their ability to repay, it makes sense to plan ahead and know your options before making a decision about college. The College Board at FinAid.org provides parents and students with several different college cost calculators to help families plan for college costs.
The three most commonly
used calculators are as follows:
College Cost
Projector
Since college costs
increase at about twice the inflation rate, this calculator helps project how
much college will cost when you are ready to enroll. In order to calculate the costs,
you would enter the current costs of attendance and the number of years until
attendance. The calculator then projects the estimated cost.
EFC (Expected Family Contribution)
Calculator
This form is used to
calculate the financial need which is used by colleges to determine the
financial aid package. It calculates the need for a single year and helps you
know in advance the amount colleges will expect you to pay toward your college
education. This figure will also determine the amount of financial aid you
receive.
Loan Repayment
Calculator
This calculator computes
an estimate of the size of your monthly loan payments and the annual salary
required to manage them. Students should always calculate the loan repayment
amounts before taking on loans that they are unable to repay upon graduation.
Once calculated, this tool gives you an estimated annual salary needed to
afford repayment.
FinAid.org also offers many more calculators that can help you plan and budget for college. Here’s the extensive list with links:
(Privacy guarantee: None of the information you enter in these calculators will be saved, and no record of your sessions will be stored anywhere.)
It is always wise to
know your college costs before you make a college choice. Knowing these figures
also helps you when evaluating financial aid packages and comparing the various
offers from the colleges you are considering.
There are plenty of options available when the time comes for you to pick a loan. If you are a student and you need a student loan you will need to have a loan with a very low-interest rate. There are student loans that cover this and it is repayable over time, or even when you start working. The problem is if you need a loan for something else, such as for a car, or to fund a course then you may not feel as though there are many options available. You may even face charges if you are late making the payment, and this can make you feel incredibly trapped, especially if you are on a budget and trying tosave money at the moment.
Borrowing on a Low Credit Rating
There is a huge difference between having poor credit and having no credit. They both however, make it difficult for you to secure a loan with a low rate. If you have no credit history then you may struggle to get a loan at all, and if you have poor credit then you may have a note against your name or you may have missed payments and this can make you difficult for a loan company to invest in. If you are young and you need to take out a loan then lenders such asLendkey are ideal for this and they can provide you with the rate that is suitable for your situation.
Improving your Credit Rating
There are a lot of different ways for you toimprove your credit rating. One of them is making sure that you are registered on the electoral roll or the corresponding register in your own country. If you are not then there is a high chance that you will not secure any credit at all. It also helps to space out any credit applications that you have. This will leave a footprint on your file and if you do happen to get rejected from one then this will make it less likely for the next lender to give you a loan. The cycle is going to carry on like this until you get accepted, which is rather unfortunate. The best way for you to get around this would be for you to apply and wait to see if you get accepted, and leave quite a bit of time between each application. You also need to make sure that you take the time and research each application properly.
If you are struggling to get your credit rating up then one idea would be for you to apply for a high-interest credit card. This is not ideal because if you are on a budget then it means that you are paying more than you should be for your interest, but it does mean that you can slowly build up your rating until you can eventually find a card that has the interest rate you’re looking for. AAACreditGuide offers credit repair reviews if this is an avenue you need to look into as well.
Your History
If you are struggling to get your credit rating up then one idea would be for you to apply for a high-interest credit card. This is not ideal because if you are on a budget then it means that you are paying more than you should be for your interest, but it does mean that you can slowly build up your rating until you can eventually find a card that has the interest rate you’re looking for. This may take time, but that is just how things work and there aren’t many other options available for you to take advantage of.
It’s financial aid award season. Students and parents have either received or will soon receive the award from the colleges that offered admission. How will this aid factor in to your student’s final decision?
But lurking between the lines in these award letters are some practices colleges use when offering admission and financial aid. Colleges will either lure students to accept their offer of admission, or discourage those students who were only offered admission to fill their quotas and inflate their numbers.
Front Loading
Front loading happens when colleges make their most generous financial aid award offers to applicants as a lure to attend. When students return the following year they may find their school has dropped their previously awarded grants and scholarships. Thousands of dollars may have been lost to the common practice of front loading, so ask these 5 questions:
Is the grant/scholarship renewable and if so for how many years? What you want is the money to continue until the student graduates. Bear in mind it is taking longer, four to six years, for those who graduate to do so. Find out the maximum number of times the award will be made.
What are the strings attached to keeping the grant/scholarship? It’s important to understand the terms of receiving free money awards before acceptance to make sure the student can and will perform them. He may have to keep his grades up, play an instrument, or be a member on a team. Find out the eligibility requirements each year including any additional paperwork necessary to keep them.
If the grant/scholarship is lost, what will replace it? Often student loans are the college’s substitution plan. However, there may be other grants/scholarships available. Ask about them and the application process. Be prepared to continue searching for these and have a college finance Plan B.
Will the college bill increase in following years and if so, by how much? Those renewable grants/scholarships may no longer cover the same portion of college costs if tuition rises. See what if any cost components like tuition/fees and room/board are capped or held at the freshmen level.
Will the grant/scholarship be increased to keep pace with any raised college costs? Be aware most colleges will not match tuition increases or increase free money aid when tuition rates increase. However, the college bill must continue to be paid.
Gapping
In admissions, college gapping is a term used in reference to colleges and financial aid awards. The gap between what you can afford to pay (your EFC) and what colleges offer in aid creates this gap. Gapping happens when a college makes an offer of admission and doesn’t back it up with financial aid. Quite simply, the college doesn’t offer enough aid to cover the difference between the cost of the college attendance and your expected family contribution.
Gapping is a serious business. Colleges use the tactic to “weed out” the good applicants from the average applicants. Quite simply, if your student is at the top of their applicant pool, they will receive the aid required to attend. If not, your student will be gapped, in the hopes they will reject the offer of admission.
It’s a numbers game. Colleges offer admission to more students than they can possibly accommodate. Gapping helps them lessen the number of students who accept those offers of admission.
Padding the Award
Colleges will pad the EFC numbers with federal student loans, federal parent loans and work-study. These should NOT be considered when determining if the college is gapping your student. All students qualify for federal student loans. College aid should only be in the form of merit scholarships and grants. If the difference between what you can afford and what the college offers is padded with loans, the college is gapping your student.
The lesson for parents and their college-bound students is to carefully scrutinize, analyze and question each item in their financial aid awards before bothering to compare one college’s offer to another. It may turn out that freshman year is a best deal at one place but if the total years until graduation are tallied, another choice may be the better bargain.
If the college is gapping your student it’s you and your student’s decision on whether or not to accept the offer of admission. If you want my advice–move on to the 2nd, 3rd or even 4th choice college with the good financial aid package. You will not only save a bundle, but your student will most likely be happier at a college that values his or her contribution.
Earlier this month, LendEDU, a marketplace for student loans and student loan refinancing, decided to survey college student loan borrowers at a nearby college to see how much they knew about their student loan debt. Over the course of a couple days of surveying they confirmed their suspicions. Most of our nation’s current college students don’t understand their student loans or the financial aid process. With permission, they filmed some of the respondents while they asked them a series of questions related to their student loan debt.
At the end of our survey LendEDU decided to package together some of their favorite survey responses into one short video.
Will your child be one of these student loan borrowers?
As a parent, not only will you find this video eye opening and entertaining, but just a bit scary. Educate your student about student loan debt before he signs those financial aid award documents.
For more information on student loans, click here.
According to US News, graduates from the class of 2013 averaged just under $30,000 in student loan debt. This is a lot of money considering the average graduate from that same class had a starting salary of just around $45,000. While it may seem like an impossible task to pay back these loans, if you make smart decisions about your finances you can slay the startling student loan dragon and avoid the student loan money trap. The following tips will help you pay off your student loans and avoid the crippling debt after graduation that many recent graduates deal with.
1. Know Your Loans
If you are like most graduates who have taken out student loans, it is crucial to know the ins and outs of them. You should know your monthly payment, interest rate, and the term of your loan. Knowing this information will ensure that you don’t fall behind on your payments and will allow you to come up with a game plan to pay them back. It is also smart to stay in touch with your student loan servicer. These people can help you if you need more time making a payment, want to change the terms of your loan, or want to explore options that may reduce your interest rate.
2. Refinance
Just like you can refinance your mortgage or car loan, it is also possible to refinance your student loans. You can usually consolidate and refinance your loan or loans into one single loan with a private lender. Because many graduates now have steady jobs and a better financial standing, the private lenders who deal with refinancing may offer much better rates than the initial loan. Refinance rates start as low as 1.90% for those with a very respectable credit score though most borrowers’ rates average around 3-5%. Even if you can lower your loans by a few percentage points, you will save thousands in the long run!
3. Student Loan Forgiveness
Student loan forgiveness is essentially just what it sounds like. After a certain amount of time or under certain circumstances, you are “forgiven” for your loans and are no longer required to make payments on any remaining balance. One of the most popular plans is the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program from the Department of Education. This plan offers forgiveness for those who work in a public sector job, like the government or a not-for-profit, who have made at least 120 qualifying payments on their student loans. Starting in 2017 you can apply for this program on the Department of Education’s website.
4. Maintain a Budget
Whether you have student loans or not, it is essential to maintain a strict budget. Mapping out all of your essential expenses and sources of income will allow you to have a better understanding of how much you can invest or save and how much extra spending money you have. There are also countless apps to help you easily track your budget and spending. Make sure to keep updating your budget as you gain a better understanding of how much money you are spending.
5. Cut Unnecessary Expenses
There are countless ways to waste money in today’s society. In order to stay debt-free as you enter the “real world” you must identify and eliminate these wasteful habits. Some examples of expenses you can cut include eating out, memberships to entertainment services like Spotify or Netflix, and spending money at bars or clubs. Once you take a look into your budget and spending habits, you should be able to choose which expenses are unnecessary and cut them out.
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Today’s guest post is from Molly Day, the creator of StudentLoanDiary.com. Molly created her blog to help her stick to her goals and encourage other people to beat their student loan debt! Molly is working to pay off $30,000 in student loan debt over the next two years!
