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
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
PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Above all else, the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid was designed to improve college access. However, problems with the rollout have left many students and their families frustrated with fewer students applying overall. As of the last tally, nearly 4 million students have submitted the 2024-25 FAFSA form so … Read more
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday it is introducing a “FAFSA College Support Strategy” with additional personnel, funding, resources and technology to help colleges process the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms after the rollout was repeatedly complicated by a number of setbacks. “We are determined to get this right,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel … Read more
The U.S. Department of Education says it plans to update a key part of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid formula, which will result in $1.8 billion more in aid for college-bound students this year. The announcement comes weeks after the simplified FAFSA soft launched Dec. 30 after a monthslong delay. Since then, the 2024-25 form … Read more
