September 10, 2012

College Financial Aid: Common Mistakes

"How not to blow it with financial aid" is the lead article in The Wall Street Journal Wealth Advisor section (9/10/12) by R. L. Ensign.  "The minuses of parental PLUS loans" and "Beware college students carrying credit cards" round out the trio of articles. Also:  "Where's the money?": grants & scholarships, loans, federal work-study, & child's summer earnings.
Mistakes:
Earning too much at the wrong time
Letting the wrong family members hold college money
Making assumptions about what schools will offer
Thinking merit money is all about gradews and SATs
Not applying for all the aid you're eligible for
Figuring the "expected family contribution" is all you're paying
Going for the loan with the lowest interest rate
Thinking an aid offer is set in stone
Figuring aid will be about the same all four years
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10000872396390444246904577572661270917258.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

No comments:

Post a Comment

Financial Planning for Women does not sell, rent, loan, lease or otherwise provide any personal information collected at our site to any third parties.