Resources
Understanding the Expected Family Contribution in FAFSA
Have you heard the term Expected Family Contribution on TV or on social media and wonder what exactly it is, and does it matter to your child and your family? I am here to tell…
Does Saving for College Reduce Financial Aid?
Parents regularly express frustration to me, for having been penalized for saving for their child’s education, and receiving a smaller aid package. I’ve actually had some young parents share that their friends have told them…
Big Changes Coming on the FAFSA
‘Never a dull moment’ was the 2020 mantra for college planning and 2021 has started the same! The Covid-19 relief legislation passed late last year includes the FAFSA Simplification Act. I’d like to highlight several…
How COVID is Impacting College Admissions
Since a higher percentage of students deferred last fall due to COVID-19, will there be less spots available for my child, making it harder to get into the schools my child wants to attend? I…
Direct Student Loans
We all have been hearing that we have a major student loan problem in this country. Student loan debt has reached over 1.5 trillion dollars. Yes, that’s trillion with a T. For many families, student…
Prior-Prior Year (PPY): What is it and why it matters to college financial aid?
What is PPY? PPY stands for Prior-Prior Year. This change was made in 2016 and was effective beginning with 2017-2018 school year. Two big changes were made with PPY. The first change was the FAFSA…
What is the CSS Profile?
The CSS Profile is a second financial aid form that is required by 200+ colleges (mostly private, but some public schools as well.) Students will be required to submit this form AND the FAFSA if…
What is the FAFSA?
FAFSA is the Free Application for Federal Student Aid. This form that must be submitted if you want to be eligible for the Federal student aid programs such as Direct and Direct Plus loans as…
What is an Expected Family Contribution?
Expected Family Contribution (EFC) is the minimum annual amount a student is expected to contribute toward the cost of college. The EFC is calculated from the data submitted on financial aid forms - FAFSA and…
