On August 24, 2022, President Biden announced plans to offer student loan forgiveness to selected individuals. Here is a summary of the executive action that the Biden Administration plans to effectuate.
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Every May, interest rates on federal student loans are recalculated for the upcoming school year. The rates are calculated by combining the yield on the 10-year U.S. Treasury note with an extra fixed amount set by Congress.
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October is the kickoff season for financial aid. That's when incoming and returning college students can start filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the next academic year
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If you've finished college within the last few years, chances are you're paying off your student loans. What happens with your student loans now that they've entered repayment status will have a significant impact — positive or negative — on your credit history and credit score.
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After two years of decreases, interest rates on federal student loans are set to increase almost a full percentage point for the 2021-2022 school year.
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In late December 2020, Congress passed the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021. The bill included several provisions related to education. Here are some key highlights.
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The U.S. Department of Education has designated February as Financial Aid Awareness Month, and this year there's a lot to talk about.
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Every year, the College Board releases updated college cost data and trends in its annual report. Following are cost highlights for the 2020-2021 academic year.
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The FAFSA is a prerequisite for federal student loans, grants, and work-study. In addition, colleges typically require the FAFSA before distributing their own need-based aid and, in some cases, merit-based aid.
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The rules governing financial matters for young adults are, in a word, complicated. College-age students do gain financial responsibilities and can often begin independent investing. But, in many cases, a child’s financial status doesn’t change immediately when he or she turns 18.
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529 plans offer unparalleled flexibility and control to account owners. Benefits include generous contribution limits, tax-deferred growth and tax-free distributions to fund a wide array of qualified education expenses.
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Graduating from college is certainly cause for celebration! But for many graduates, earning a higher education degree has left them with sizable student loan debt. Fortunately, there are a variety of repayment choices available—from consolidation to refinancing—to help lessen this burden.
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Until students demonstrate sufficient maturity and decision-making skills, many parents continue to take an active role in their children’s lives. But once a child reaches the age of 18, he or she has all the legal rights of an adult. This means that the individual is legally on his or her own should a health, financial, or legal matter arise.
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While 529 plans are commonly used for education savings, they can also be used for tax-efficient estate transfer. This can be done through a process called forward gifting or superfunding.
Read MoreFor many families, financial aid programs help make higher education attainable. The first step in applying for aid is to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Read MoreA 529 plan is a tax-deferred account with contributions invested in a selection of mutual funds or exchange-traded funds. Later, those assets can be withdrawn tax free if used for qualified expenses. These contributions are not deductible on your federal tax return, but many states offer a state tax deduction for contributions made to 529 plans.
Read MoreA student loan debt clock at finaid.org estimates current outstanding student loan debt — including both federal and private student loans — at over $1.4 trillion. But it's not just millennials who are racking up this debt.
Read MoreTo be eligible for federal loan consolidation, you must have at least one federal student loan in grace, repayment, deferment, or default status. Once you consolidate your loans, you will have a single lender--the U.S. Department of Education--and a single monthly payment.
Read MoreCollege students and their parents dodged a major bullet with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Initial drafts of the bill included the elimination of Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, the Lifetime Learning Credit, and the student loan interest deduction, along with the taxation of tuition waivers, which are used primarily by graduate students and college employees.
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