Financial Aid

A Letter to America’s TeachersI never could predict what might happen in Mr. O’Neil’s art classes; I just knew I couldn’t wait for the next assignment.  Back then I didn’t realize all the ways this dynamic educator, a rare man of color leading our diverse classroom of second graders, was serving as a pioneer and role model for me and my peers in John Barry Elementary School.  But I’ll never forget how his teaching made me feel.  As a second grader, I remember looking up — watching him encourage, challenge and guide us – and thinking: “I want to be like him.” In the years since embracing that calling and starting my career as a classroom teacher, I’ve kept that sense of purpose and wonder.  And my goal in all the administrative roles I’ve held is to facilitate great teaching and learning: t...

Rethinking the Admission Process iStockWe’ve just passed the point in the higher education admission cycle where, traditionally, college applicants receive a flurry of decisions all at once—an increasingly stressful time for students that often coincides with spring break. It caused me to think about how we do business and I was encouraged to learn that, in conjunction with the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NASFAA), NACAC has launched a commission “to reimagine financial aid and college admission in the pursuit of racial equity in postsecondary education.” It is intended to rethink everything.And, indeed, it is time we do. The pandemic has highlighted many inequities in society and specifically within higher education. It is now incumbent upon all of us to s...

What is the University's Purpose?The recent Chronicle of Higher Education/Deloitte report, “The College Business Model in a Crisis,” rekindled my concerns about the ultimate purposes of our enterprise and how these purposes can more effectively guide planning and operational decision-making.  The questions are no longer hypothetical, if indeed they ever were. Will problem-solving triggered by the hyper-disruptive COVID-19 event reaffirm core academic values or will it spawn new business models that, over time, will undermine them?The report provides useful insights on higher education’s business model and how to fix it, but institutional purposes are not addressed explicitly.  This blog describes the problem and introduces some emergent practical concepts and tools for balancing “miss...

Use this Valuable College Admission ChecklistUsing  a college admission checklist is critical when your child is applying to colleges and universities. Allowing  a teenager to apply to any colleges without a solid game plan can be a financial and academic disaster. In fact, ignoring advance planning is one reason why ONE OUT OF THREE students who start at four-year public and private colleges and universities end up transferring somewhere else. What a terrible track record that is!! College Admission Checklist Here are five college check-list items that you and your child should accomplish before sending out applications.  If you’ve already submitted your applications, you can definitely still do some of these tasks: 1. Use net price calculators. If money is an issue, you should not allow ...

Taking advantage of today’s college admission landscapeEarlier this month, I discussed the current college admission landscape with Mark Salisbury, the creator of TuitionFit, a nonprofit that’s been compared to the Kelly Blue Book of college pricing. We shared our thoughts about what happened to college admission landscape last year and also shared our predictions about what will happen to college admissions in 2021. If you are a parent of a student in high school, a college consultant  or a high school counselors, I’d urge you to watch the recording. It could save households tens of thousands of dollars, if not more by being smarter about targeting colleges. We covered a lot of ground in the 81-minute discussion including these realities: The SAT/ACT test-optional move boosted application...

General Tips for Incoming High School FreshmenWhat Should Incoming Freshmen Do to Prepare for High School? As the school year draws to a close, many middle school students are looking forward to their first year of high school and how to prepare. The start of high school is a major milestone that every incoming freshmen student should celebrate. High school is an opportunity to further develop your study skills, challenge yourself with advanced courses, and explore your interests and passions. While the transition to high school is undoubtedly exciting, many students are likely to have questions about how to make the most of the next four years. Keep reading to learn some of our top tips to help incoming freshmen start their high school career off on the right foot.  Stay Academically Eng...

College Openings Update: Colleges Accepting Applications for Fall 2021These Schools Still Have Space For Students in the Class of 2025 For students who maybe got a late start on the college admissions process, or their goals and interests have changed, trying to apply for admission to the fall term may seem impossible. However, there are 195 colleges and universities in the US and abroad that are still accepting applications after May 1 for the class of 2025. Every year after the May 1 College Decision Day, NACAC compiles a list of all of the colleges and universities with space, housing, and financial aid available for those looking to attend college in the fall. This year’s list is much smaller than last year, which had over 770 colleges at this point. This was due to uncertainty about t...

Getting Student Loans for Your Associate DegreeNote that the situation for student loans has changed due to the impact of the coronavirus outbreak and relief efforts from the government, student loan lenders and others. Check out our Student Loan Hero Coronavirus Information Center for additional news and details. *          *          * Considering getting an associate degree from a community college? Or maybe just want to save some money on your first two years towards a bachelor’s? The good news is that student loans are available, just as they are at four-year schools. The average community college tuition (currently $3,770) is significantly lower than the price for an in-state public university ($10,560, or almost triple) or a private university ($37,650, or almost 10 times more). Tha...

Why Students Are Logging In to Class From 7,000 Miles Away Faiqa Naqvi, a 15-year-old freshman at a New Jersey public high school, logs in to her all-remote classes each night from Pakistan in a time zone nine hours ahead. Max Rodriguez, who also attends school in New Jersey, joined his Advanced Placement history class for about two months from Guayaquil, Ecuador, a port city on the coast of South America. Max’s schoolmate, Naobe Maradiaga, 16, participated in classes from northern Honduras. In the midst of the pandemic, in a year when almost nothing about school has been normal, administrators and teachers are grappling with a fresh layer of complexity: students accessing virtual classes from outside the United States. Faced with pandemic-related financial strain at home or the health ne...

Looking beyond highly rejective colleges to get better dealsAs usual, the highly rejective colleges** have attracted the most media attention during this latest admission season. The Ivies, Stanford, MIT, Duke, Northwestern, USC and other highly rejective colleges outdid themselves this year by crushing the college dreams of an historic number of applicants. What gets lost in this slavish attention to the nation’s highly rejective schools is the inside scoop on what’s happening with other colleges and universities and how some families can take advantage of this situation now. 2021 college admissions reality The admission offices at many schools that are still quite popular with ambitious teenagers, but aren’t perched near the top U.S. News & World Report’s rankings, are stressing out ...

The College Applicant ResumeWhat Does a College Applicant Need to Include in Their Resume? If you think resumes are only for job applications, it’s time to think again. A resume is an ideal medium to clearly and concisely present what you’ve accomplished throughout your high school career. Consequently, many students choose to include a resume when applying to college or when requesting letters of recommendation from teachers and counselors. Creating and maintaining a resume is an excellent college prep task, but applicants may be unclear about what they should include in this important document. Keep reading for our top tips for creating a resume that will help you stand out during the college admissions process. Spotlight Extracurricular Activities  Your resume is an ideal format for hi...

Supporting First-Generation and Low-Income Students Beyond the College Acceptance Letter Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that pursuing a college education is not just about getting accepted and enrolling in a college. First-generation and low-income college students were burdened with the struggle to pay expensive college fees for a virtual education while being separated from on-campus resources and in-person support from students and faculty. For first-generation and low-income college students, being accepted into a college is a major accomplishment that opens the door to numerous possibilities, such as having higher average salaries and healthier lifestyles. However, there needs to be more support for first-generation and low-income students throughout college, n...

How To Ace Your Covid-19 College EssayCollege essays over the past year have reflected the turbulence of these Covid-19 times. In response to Covid-19 and in preparation for 2021-2022 applications, the Common Application, the largest college application platform for prospective undergraduates, has replaced one of its prompts with the following: “Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?” This new prompt is based on scientific research on gratitude and kindness. In addition, the Common App continues to allow students to share additional information that’s Covid-19 related. Common Application President & CEO Jenny Rickard shares in a press release about t...