Amid FAFSA issues, it’s a good time to lobby for more financial aid

Amid FAFSA issues, it’s a good time to lobby for more financial aid

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

Biden has forgiven $136 billion in student debt

Biden has forgiven 6 billion in student debt

US President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on August 15, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images It’s never been a better time to get rid of your student debt. Although President Joe Biden’s plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for … Read more

Employers now offer student loan 401(k) match: What it’s like

Employers now offer student loan 401(k) match: What it’s like

When Amber Steeves started working at Verizon almost 15 years ago, she did one of the best things you can do when you start a new job. She enrolled in the company’s 401(k) program to begin saving for retirement. “I was never financially stable, and that was a goal,” she tells CNBC Make It. “OK, … Read more

Millennials’ retirement outlook may be worse than older generations

Millennials’ retirement outlook may be worse than older generations

JGI/Jamie Grill | Blend Images | Getty Images Millennials’ retirement prospects seem rockier than those of older generations of Americans. That’s largely a function of long-term policy changes such as a later age for full Social Security benefits and a shift to 401(k)-type plans, longer average lifespans and a bigger student debt burden relative to … Read more

Education Department announces aid for rocky FAFSA rollout

Education Department announces aid for rocky FAFSA rollout

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

Biden administration may expand student loan forgiveness plan

Biden administration may expand student loan forgiveness plan

U.S. President Joe Biden speaks to United Auto Workers members at the UAW’s Community Action Program legislative conference in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 24, 2024. Leah Millis | Reuters The Biden administration announced on Wednesday that it will try to deliver student loan forgiveness to borrowers experiencing financial hardship. After the Supreme Court struck down … Read more

Soft landing or no landing, economists weigh in ahead of Fed

Soft landing or no landing, economists weigh in ahead of Fed

The Federal Reserve is expected to announce it will leave rates unchanged at the end of its two-day meeting this week, after recent reports showed the economy grew at a much more rapid pace than expected and inflation eased. “In many ways, we already have a soft landing,” said Columbia Business School economics professor Brett House. … Read more

Education Department FAFSA inflation fix adds $1.8 billion in aid

Education Department FAFSA inflation fix adds .8 billion in aid

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

College enrollment picks up, but student loan debt still sticking point

College enrollment picks up, but student loan debt still sticking point

For the first time in over a decade, more students are choosing to go to college. Undergraduate enrollment rose 1.2% in the fall of 2023 compared with one year earlier — a gain of roughly 176,000 students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse’s latest research. “The number of students in college has finally turned the … Read more

What to know about your credit as student loan bills restart

What to know about your credit as student loan bills restart

D3sign | Moment | Getty Images On-ramp period should protect your credit Generally, failing to make timely payments on debts, including your student loans, can damage your credit. Payment history accounts for 35% of your score, according to FICO. Typically, “missing just one payment can cause your credit score to drop by 50 to 100 … Read more