Few college admission cycles have been as hard on students as this one. National College Decision Day — the deadline most schools set to decide on a college — is just two weeks away. But many college hopefuls are still unsure of where they stand financially, as problems persist with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid. … Read more
College degree earners fall by nearly 3% For the second year in a row, the number of students earning an undergraduate degree declined, according to a recent report by the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. Overall, undergraduate degree earners fell by nearly 3% in the 2022-23 academic year — the steepest decline ever recorded, the … Read more
1. Borrowers with ‘runaway interest’ More than 25 million borrowers owe more than they originally borrowed in federal student loans because of accrued interest charges, according to the Biden administration. As part of this plan, those borrowers could get up to $20,000 of unpaid interest on their debt forgiven, regardless of income. Certain low- and middle-income … Read more
The price tag for a college education has never been higher — and it’s only going up. The cost of attendance at some schools, including New York University, Tufts, Brown, Yale, and Washington University in St. Louis, is now nearing six figures a year, after factoring in tuition, fees, room and board, books, transportation and … Read more
Getting into college is one thing, staying in is another. Although college enrollment declines leveled off this year, the number of students who started but then withdrew has been on the rise, according to the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center. There are now more than 40 million students who are currently unenrolled. At the same time, roughly … Read more
Amid arguably the worst year to apply for financial aid, some colleges are implementing new strategies to entice students wary of the high cost. Vanderbilt University announced it is expanding Opportunity Vanderbilt to include full-tuition scholarships to students of families with an annual income of $150,000 or less. Meanwhile, Dartmouth also said it is nearly … Read more
Martinprescott | E+ | Getty Images Millions of older adults who are behind on their student loans could soon receive a smaller Social Security benefit. That was the warning from Democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., in a recent letter to the Biden administration. “When borrowers are in collections, … Read more
As problems with the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid persist into the spring, harsh words are being directed at the U.S. Department of Education. Former top student loan official Wayne Johnson accused the Education Department of “malicious negligence” in a March 7 letter written to U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona and other senior officials … Read more
How the FAFSA’s grandparent ‘loophole’ works The simplified FAFSA form now uses a new calculation called the “Student Aid Index” to estimate how much a family can afford to pay. Previously, many factors went into how much aid students receive, including the total number of people in the household and the number of children in … Read more
Marlon and his dog, George. Courtesy: Since 1988, Marlon Fox has been paying down his federal student debt. He didn’t see an end in sight. Then, on Aug. 25, 2023, an email popped up in his inbox with the subject line: “Your student loans have been forgiven!” His $119,500 balance was reset to zero. “I … Read more
