student loan debt

by Ryan W. Smith Summer is winding down and the Dog Days are here, which of course means college classes are about to start again with a whole new crop of freshman on campuses across …

The vast majority of college freshman have never created a budget. They have never needed to pay bills, nor have they needed to make sure they have money for food and other necessities. They do …

Yes, credit cards are still a major financial issue for most college freshmen away from home for the first time. There are ways that students can utilize credit in a positive way, but without much …

Freshman year is a year of large changes for most students. It marks the first steps into independence, the first time away from home, the first time she is being recognized as an adult. However, …

by Ryan W. Smith The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has become an annual rite for all college-bound students since its creation in 1992. The form, which parents fill out annually with income, …

There are two main aspects of FAFSA and 529 College Savings Plans that are impacted by the FAFSA changes. The first deals with the Expected Family Contribution (EFC) amount derived from FAFSA information. The EFC’s …

Beginning with the 2017-2018 academic year, the FAFSA will use a two-year lookback. For example, 2016 and 2017 tax information would be used for the necessary portions of the 2017-2018 forms. This will prevent the …

From 1992 until 2016, the FAFSA was filled out by parents after January 1 each year, based on the prior year’s tax forms and updated once taxes were filed. For example, the FAFSA due January …

by Ryan W. Smith College is one of the most formidable expenses a person has in life. Many students will rely on loans to pay for at least a portion of the cost, but in …