Showing Tag: "9" (Show all posts)

Applying To College In The Age Of The Corona Virus

Posted by Seth Bykofsky on Thursday, March 19, 2020, In : College Planning

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Here at College Connection, we’re hunkering down, ready to offer some sage advice for high school students as they march forward - socially distanced, of course - on their journey to college.

First and foremost, of course, would be to STAY HOME. Help to flatten the curve of the Corona Virus, not only to keep yourself healthy, but to avoid infecting others, particularly the most vulnerable. Socialize online (teens are experts at that)...

Paying For College: The Financial Aid Shell Game

Posted by College Connection on Thursday, April 9, 2015, In : Paying for College

“...How can I be a millionaire.. and never pay taxes? First.. get a million dollars...” -- Steve Martin

The financial aid “gurus” love to tell you that they can lower college costs, get you more money for college, and find a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

Everything from shifting assets to Aunt Dottie and Uncle Moe, to deferring contributions to your retirement accounts, in the collegiate equivalent of the street corner shell game. Now you see money for college. Now you don’t!...

Earning Scholarship Money For College (While You're Still In High School)

Posted by College Connection on Tuesday, December 16, 2014, In : Paying for College

Getting in to the college of your choice (yes, we'll help you do that) is one thing. Finding the money to pay for college can be quite another matter (and we'll help you there, as well)!

Most high school seniors -- at least the ones we work with -- understand that the bulk of scholarship (read as, FREE) money does not come from either the colleges or the government, but rather, from outside sources such as corporations, foundations, community-based organizations, and the like....

Got College? Get A (529) Plan!

Posted by College Connection on Monday, January 6, 2014, In : Paying for College

We all know just how important it is to plan for college. Choosing the right colleges to apply to, and, ultimately, that one college that is the right fit for you. Developing and writing a compelling essay. Finessing those college applications and supplement. Conquering the Common App. Avoiding the pitfalls. Navigating the detours. Handling the stress and anxiety. Keeping from being overwhelmed by that crazy whirlwind of a ride they call the college application and admissions game. [Of course...
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High School Juniors: This Is Your Moment!

Posted by College Connection on Wednesday, January 9, 2013, In : College Planning

While most high school seniors are submitting FAFSA, and some are putting the finishing touches on the last of their college applications, high school juniors, waiting in the wings, are busy, er, ah, um, busy doing, hmmm... What exactly are high school juniors busy doing?

Dollars to doughnuts (who says that anymore?), while juniors -- and the parents of same -- may have much on their respective plates, preparing for the madness of college applications and admissions (and we mean seriously prep...
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Don't Go Over The College Fiscal Cliff

Posted by College Connection on Thursday, November 22, 2012, In : Paying for College

With college costs rising, and the amount of student debt ($1 trillion and climbing) off the charts, it is not only the fiscal cliff we hear about on the news that concerns us. The college fiscal cliff looms large on the horizon, and, for some, the abyss below beckons as parents and students hover, not unlike Wile E. Coyote, suspended over that void which threatens to suck every last dollar out of both wallet and bank account.

While we have little (okay, we have some) control over college cost...
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A National Day of Service and Remembrance

Posted by College Connection on Tuesday, September 11, 2012, In : College Life

As we remember the heroes of September 11th, their families, and those who stand on the front lines of freedom, every day, everywhere, reflecting upon lives lost, dreams unfulfilled and promises deferred, we also look to the future, rekindling that spirit of democracy that is the essence of this great nation.

Today, we lay aside partisan politics, petty bickering and the small-mindedness of self indulgence to join hands in that which unites all Americans in a common cause -- a National Day of ...

On 9/11, We Remember

Posted by College Connection on Monday, September 10, 2012, In : College Life

Now More Than Ever, You Need A 529 Plan

Posted by College Connection on Friday, September 7, 2012, In : Paying for College

College Savings Plans -- so-called 529 Plans -- were all the rage a decade ago. A tax-advantaged, low-cost vehicle to save money for college.

Then, the bottom fell out of the economy, and suddenly, or so it would seem, folks stopped saving for college. And now, they're paying the price -- literally and figuratively.

That's too bad, because those who started saving, and those who have continued to save, have, in most instances, even in a fluctuating and sometimes volatile market, seen their inv...
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Till College Debt Do Us Part?

Posted by College Connection on Monday, May 14, 2012, In : Paying for College

The New York Times reports that which most college students -- and their parents -- already know too well: Student loan debt is out of control! [Read, A Generation Hobbled by the Soaring Cost of College.]

More than $1 trillion in outstanding student debt, and that number is rising.

Of course, with tuition alone topping $50,000 at some colleges, and rising every year, despite an ailing and stagnant economy, and internal scholarship dollars as awarded by these same institutions shrinking, is it a...
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The Gerber Baby Goes To College

Posted by College Connection on Wednesday, June 15, 2011, In : Paying for College

L.B. of Sea Cliff, NY writes:

As the new mother of a bouncing baby boy, I would like to start saving for college, especially given the rising costs for both public and private universities. Can only imagine what four years of tuition, fees, room and board will cost in 18 years! Having heard about the Gerber Life College Plan, I was wondering whether this would be a good way to save ...

FAFSA FEVER

Posted by College Connection on Thursday, February 24, 2011, In : Paying for College

Donna of Louisiana writes:

I am married and have one daughter. She will be a college freshman in the fall. I have contributed money in my state's 529 plan (I live in Louisiana) since she was 8. We were in the process of figuring out whether we were required to report the amount of money in the 529 on the FAFSA application. I found out yesterday that we do report it. One question i have is this. The state has invested the money and we have received "enhancements." There is more money in t...
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A Four-Letter Word To Help Pay For College: SAVE

Posted by College Connection on Thursday, November 4, 2010, In : Paying for College

Our friend and colleague, Lynn O'Shaughnessy, opines on why saving for college -- or for anything, for that matter -- is a good thing. To top it off, having saved some money for education beyond high school, you won't necessarily be penalized in terms of securing financial aid from your college of choice.

There are some links included, courtesy of U.S. News & World Report (the folks with those silly rankings), to be taken with the requisite grain of salt, hopefully spurring some more in-depth ...
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How To Pay For College? Write A Book!

Posted by College Connection on Tuesday, August 31, 2010, In : Paying for College

Seems that every time you turn around, someone -- usually an enterprising college student who needs the cash to pay that tuition bill -- is writing a book on how to pay for college. Add on the perfunctory, Without Going Broke, Without Mooching Off Your Parents, Without Going Into Debt, and you've got a best seller.

Saunter (a good SAT word) into your local Barnes & Nobles and you'll find at least a half dozen books dedicated to paying for colleges, the profits from any one of which likely to b...
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