Applying to Colleges that Are Financially Healthy

Helping Your Students Apply for Financial Aid? Don’t Forget to File the FAFSA

If you are advising a student who needs help paying for college, remember that the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) is something that you should file.

The FAFSA is a form that the Government provides online to help colleges understand a family’s financial picture and to determine eligibility for federal, state and school-sponsored financial aid.  Read more

Unclaimed Scholarship Dollars Are Available. Can They Help You Attend College This Year - Student Research Foundation

How Your Students with Special Interests Can Get Extra Help with College Admissions and Funding in 2023

In the eyes of many college admissions officials, the “perfect” applicant is a student who has a top GPA, near-perfect scores on the ACT or SAT tests, and whose family is ready and able to pay full tuition.

Yes, applicants who meet those criteria will not have any problem getting into the colleges of their choice. But let’s face reality. How many students are you teaching or counseling who can meet all those criteria? Chances are, very few. But the good news today is that because colleges are working hard to fill their incoming classes, there are plenty of colleges out there who are eager to admit students who don’t necessarily hit all those high benchmarks.

Many of today’s colleges want your students, just the way they are. And in today’s post, we will explain how “imperfect” students can still be admitted to great colleges of their choice. Read more

Finish college in 3 years to Save 25% of Your College Costs - Student Research Foundation

Are These College Scholarships on Your Radar?

Are you a high school student, a parent, a teacher, or a college counselor? Remember, it is never too early to start researching sources of financial aid. 

First, speak to the financial aid officers at the colleges you are considering. Take notes and follow their advice and instructions. Don’t overlook important details, such as application deadlines.  Read more

Unable to Repay a Federal Student Loan - Worried Person

Have You Been Unable to Repay a Federal Student Loan? Help Could Be Coming Soon

Today, the Department of Education announced steps that will bring borrowers closer to public service loan and income-driven repayment (IDR) forgiveness by addressing historical failures in the administration of the federal student loan programs. Federal Student Aid (FSA) estimates that these changes will result in immediate debt cancellation for at least 40,000 borrowers under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program. Several thousand borrowers with older loans will also receive forgiveness through IDR. More than 3.6 million borrowers will also receive at least three years of additional credit toward IDR forgiveness.”

The U.S. Department of Education

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Stalling on College Applications? These Tactics Should Help - Student Research Foundation

Students Are Becoming More Practical when Applying to College

Findings from the New Inside Higher Ed Survey

“My older son, who is graduating from an elite college this year, was most looking for high status in the colleges he put on his list five years ago. Now our daughter, who is just as accomplished academically, is thinking about costs and the careers that colleges can prepare her for. It looks like a new era of practicality has dawned.”

– Jaime, a mother who lives in the suburbs of Philadelphia

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How Students Qualify for the Common App Direct Admissions Program

Do Your Students Qualify for the Common App Direct Admissions Program?

If you are a teacher, a parent or a high school student, chances are you know about the familiar Common Application (“Common App”) that was first offered in 1975. It’s a great program that has allowed tens of thousands of students to apply to multiple colleges of their choice by submitting just one application.

Which colleges accept the Common App? You can find a recently updated list HERE.

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college campus quad

Why College Could Become Even Further Beyond the Reach of Underprivileged Students

“What this means is that the American Dream for many low-income students has been deferred, perhaps permanently. Young people not born to well-off families will not surpass their parents in income and home ownership, they will not surge into promising careers, and they will not trust the American system to do right by them.”

– Source: “New Data: College Enrollment for Low-Income High School Grads Plunged by 29% During the Pandemic” by Richard Whitmire, the 73million.org blog, December 10, 2020 Read more

Unclaimed Scholarship Dollars Are Available. Can They Help You Attend College This Year - Student Research Foundation

Unclaimed Scholarship Dollars Are Available. Can They Help You Attend College This Year?

Have you seen stories online and on the evening news about students who are dropping out of college already this year? It’s happening to unfortunate students. For example, we just read a story about a young woman who dropped out of her community college because she could not afford Internet service.

If you are short of funds and thinking about taking a gap year, you might consider changing your mind, because financial aid could be available to help you. Read more

Is Endowment the First Factor to Consider when Picking a College Today - Student Research Foundation

Is Endowment the First Factor to Consider when Picking a College Today?

We are going to start today’s post by asking you a question.

Can you identify the following college, based on the information we provide below? This college:

  • Accepts more than 60% of all applicants
  • Has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of foreign students it has enrolled
  • Offers financial aid to more than 70% of the students it accepts
  • Has a shrinking endowment
  • Has a difficult time raising money from alumni
  • Is continuing to build costly new buildings and campus facilities in the hope of attracting more students

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Alert Scammers Are Targeting Student Borrowers - Student Research Foundation

Alert: Scammers Are Targeting Student Borrowers

As you have noticed, it is currently difficult to get reliable, up-to-date information on student loan programs. Congress is tied up in knots about making decisions – any decisions – that can help students and their families plan how to navigate the coming school year or pay for it. And our President is writing up confusing new executive orders that will probably never be put into action.

In any time of uncertainty, scammers seem to know just what to do, which is to try to defraud people. And right about now, those criminals seem to have decided that students and their families are good targets for loan-related scams. Read more