The college planning process is complex and stressful enough. Do they have to make it even more stressful by being confusing? FAFSA, TCOA, CSS, SAR, EFC- so many letters and acronyms. I mean what the heck do they all mean? After hours of research and learning, the acronyms are not so bad. The hard part then is to understand how each applies to your situation. You see, college planning is different than college saving. Saving for college is just putting money away (also not so

So I'm ready to apply for College but I'm not quite sure if money is going to be enough. The Free Application for Federal Student Aid is the starting point: is the form needed to get any type of cool money either from the Federal Goverment, State, or the Universities themselves. This video gives you a lot of good information that you'll find extremely useful.

As we move through the college process, a student’s biggest decision is where to go to college. Often this is a family decision, made together, and with a good deal of thought. Too often money is the main factor, and while cost is important, it’s absolutely mandatory that other things are considered with the same weight. Is the school a good fit? In other words does the geographic location, the campus size and demographics, and the “feel” of the campus, allow for the student

In the college world, it is not a four-letter word but a five-letter acronym that causes a universal cringe across the country. FAFSA, or the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, is that acronym. This 130+ question form is a requirement to receive any kind of grant, scholarship or federal loan and it uses a formula to determine each family’s Expected Family Contribution or EFC. Given the importance of the FAFSA, it’s important to understand the basics. The first importan