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Home » Plan for College » Student Aid Matters®

Student Aid Matters®

Most Popular Questions

Penny Redlin

When are College Applications Due

By Penny Redlin
College application deadlines will vary by school, but most are due in the fall of your senior year of high school (September through December).
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Graduate looking at her parent who will help her complete the FAFSA.
Elaine Rubin

Who is My Parent When I Fill Out the FAFSA?

By Elaine Rubin
If the FAFSA determines you are a dependent undergraduate student, you will need to provide one or both of your parent(s)’ information on the FAFSA.
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How to Find Scholarships

By Edvisors Network
There are many ways to find scholarship opportunities if you know where to look. Here are some tips on how to get started.
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Student Aid Matters® FAQ's

Every college is different, but most will begin accepting applications in the fall. Typical application periods run from mid-fall to early spring. Students looking to receive the greatest opportunities for acceptance should send in their applications as soon as they can, especially if the college they are applying to uses rolling admissions.
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Rolling admissions are the continuous evaluation and admittance of students into a college until all available spots are filled. Unlike standard admission, which waits until a set application deadline is met to make all decisions, rolling admissions will begin admitting students throughout the application period.
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The College Scholarship Services (CSS) Profile is a supplemental online application, that can be required by your prospective school in addition to the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
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Colleges will look at the grades on your high school transcript and the GPA that those grades earned. All grades are important but given you will be submitting applications in the fall of your senior year of high school, your grades from junior year will bear a lot of weight, as they are the most recent examples of your work.
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College admissions look for a number of things such as good grades, a challenging curriculum and test scores. This will determine your academic fit. In addition, your essays will help convey your cultural and community fit within the campus.
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Choosing a major is a very personal decision. That said, think about the following and if any one area of study falls within these criteria you might want to consider it as a major. Your major could be a field: that which you can get paid for, that which you are good at, that which you love to do and that which the world needs.
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There are number of ways you can pay for college without financial help from your parents. You can apply for scholarships, participate in a work-study program and if need-be, borrow money in the form of student loans.
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It’s not uncommon for corporations both large and small to offer tuition reimbursements to employees. Some of the more well-known companies that help employees pay for college are: UPS, Wells Fargo, Starbucks, Amazon, Bank of America, Disney, Target, Apple and many more.
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The very best way to pay for college is cash. If possible, try to save as much money as you can in advance to pay for college. 529 Plans are a great way to save and grow your money faster (when the markets are favorable) than just socking money away in a traditional savings account.
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Yes, the military does have programs that you can take advantage of to help pay for college. For qualified active-duty personnel, the Military Tuition Assistance program can pay up to 100% of your tuition.
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Work-study is a federal financial aid program that arranges for students with financial needs to work on (and sometimes off) campus as a way to earn their financial aid.
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Tuition is the fee or price associated for receiving educational instruction from a college or university. Most schools will charge tuition per credit hour, such as $200 per credit hour. Most classes are 3 credit hours, meaning tuition for our sample class would be $600, not including any additional fees or costs for books or supplies needed to take the course.
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The information provided on the FAFSA is used by a school to assess a student’s financial need and to determine their eligible for federal student aid.
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Parents are sometimes unwilling to submit the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and/or other financial aid forms. But, parental information is required on the FAFSA of a dependent student, so a dependent student will not be able to qualify for need-based federal student aid without his or her parent’s help. There are many reasons why a parent may be unwilling to complete the FAFSA.
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Some students will file the FAFSA, but won’t qualify for need-based student aid such as grants, scholarships that require financial need, and subsidized federal student loans. For example, more than half of undergraduate students who file the FAFSA don’t qualify for a Federal Pell Grant or other federal grants. But you do have options if you didn’t receive any need-based aid.
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Check to see if your school participates in federal student aid. If you they do, you will likely need to complete the FAFSA. There are some basic eligibility criteria you need to meet to qualify to receive federal aid. Eligibility requirements include:...
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Yes, you can get scholarship while in college. Most scholarships will not cover all the costs of education each year, so it’s good practice to regularly apply for scholarships you qualify for throughout your college years to help subsidized the cost the costs of school.
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EFC stands for Expected Family Contribution which is an index number determined using a formula that evaluates a family’s income, assets, and benefits.
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In general, there is no limit to the number of scholarships you can apply to and win. However, it’s rare to win so many scholarships that you meet or exceed all your financial needs to pay for school, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try.
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Yes, you can get scholarship while in college. Most scholarships will not cover all the costs of education each year, so it’s good practice to regularly apply for scholarships you qualify for throughout your college years to help subsidized the cost the costs of school.
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Scholarships are not just for undergrads, there are a number of scholarships, grants and fellowships available to grad students. First step in finding scholarship money is to fill out the FAFSA® (Free Application for Federal Student Aid).
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To know which scholarships you qualify for is hard to say. There are many types of scholarships – academic, athletic, talent-based etc. There are even sweepstakes scholarships that have no pre-qualifications necessary to enter or win.
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National Merit Scholars are typically students who scored in the top 1% on the PSAT/NMSQT. That would mean you would need to score at least 1460 on the test on average.
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Yes, Harvard does give scholarships. The scholarships offered to undergraduate students are based upon demonstrated financial need and will cover 100% of the need that is determined.
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Most college students will have to borrow one or more student loans before they graduate, because there aren’t enough government grants to cover all college costs. There are more than $100 billion in new student loans made each year and more than $1 trillion in student loan debt outstanding.
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The average student loan debt for a bachelors degree is $36,510 and the average student loan debt for a masters degree is $71,318
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It is always best to determine if you have federal or private student loans, and who services them before you start the refinance or consolidation process. To find your federal student loans log into your My Federal Student Aid account with the U.S. Department of Education. For private student loans request your free annual credit report at AnnualCreditReport.com.
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Most new private student loans require the borrower to have a creditworthy cosigner. This includes more than 90% of new private student loans to undergraduate students and more than 75% of new private student loans to graduate and professional students. But, what if the student doesn't have a creditworthy cosigner?
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There are the obvious expenses you can use your student loans for such as school tuition and fees. However, you can use your student loans to help you cover other education-related costs. Some of those items include:
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To qualify for federal, state, and college financial aid for graduate school, you have to submit the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). The FAFSA is required to receive federal and state grants and scholarships, as well as federal student loans, including Perkins Loans, Direct Unsubsidized Loans, and Grad PLUS Loans.
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A private student loan is a credit-based loan for college that can cover the gap between financial aid received and the full cost of attendance. Private student loans are issued by private lending institutions, such as banks and credit unions.
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Private student loan terms and conditions vary by lender. However, there are some terms and conditions that tend to be pretty similar from lender to lender.
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One way to find a private lender that works with your school is to contact your school’s financial aid office, you can also enter your school on the home page of Edvisors.com to see a list of lenders that work with your school.
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The exact amount of time it takes to get a private student loan will vary by lender, school, and time of year. Generally, the process can take as little as two weeks and as long as two months.
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Unless you have a strong credit rating and history, you will probably need to apply for a private student loan with a credit-worthy cosigner.
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Yes, some private student loan lenders offer options for students who are seeking professional training and trade certificate programs.
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The answer to this question is “it depends.” If you’re looking at saving money each month on the amount of your student loan payment, you will likely be able to reduce your monthly obligation by extending your repayment term. However, extending your repayment term may cost you more overall in interest paid over time, but can help to reduce your monthly expenditures.
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Interest rates on private refinance loans vary by lender, and may be variable or fixed. Typically, the interest rate is based on the credit score of the borrower and the cosigner (if applicable).
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A private student loan refinance repayment terms vary by lender, and can be anywhere from 5 to 20 years. The Standard Direct Consolidation Loan repayment period is determined by your total education debt, which considers both federal and private student loan debt. In your application you can report the amount of your private student loans, even though you can't include the actual loans in your consolidation.
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If you do not satisfy a lender’s credit criteria, a cosigner may be required. Recent college graduates may not have a long enough credit history or work history to qualify without a cosigner.
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When we refer to consolidation, we are talking about the federal student loan consolidation program. This program is only available for federal student loans. Private student loans may not be included.
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To refinance your student loans, you need to find a lender that offers student loan refinancing. If you choose to combine your loans into a Direct Consolidation Loan, you will need to submit an application to StudentLoans.gov.
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Edvisors provides expert advice on planning and paying for college. On Edvisors.com easily compare student loan lenders, learn how to apply for financial aid, and discover scholarships. Learn about federal and private student loans for students and parents, how and when to apply to college, and more!

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