Financial Aid
FAFSA, scholarships, grants, loans, and employer benefits that make school affordable.
AI-Written Financial Aid Appeals Are Backfiring — Here's What Actually Works
A hand-crafted financial aid appeal letter earned one student $40,000 more than an AI-generated version of the same letter — a warning that generic ChatGPT appeals are creating extra work for financial aid offices and smaller awards for students.
Race-Based Scholarships Are Shrinking — Here's What's Replacing Them
Diversity-tagged scholarships have fallen from 12% to 8% of a 33,000-scholarship database since 2023 — and legal pressure from the Trump administration and advocacy groups means more cuts are likely on the way.
63% of Americans Think Colleges Are Failing on Affordability — Even as Net Tuition Falls
63% of Americans say four-year colleges do a 'poor job' on affordability — but Lumina's VP says the real culprit is price opacity, not price itself.
Where the Real Scholarship Money Is: Pell Grants, $55K Awards, and the Programs Most Students Miss
The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation awards up to $55,000 per year — $220,000 total — to low-income undergrads — and that's just one of several programs most students have never heard of.
7 Million SAVE Plan Borrowers Have 90 Days Starting July 1 to Pick a New Repayment Plan
7 million SAVE Plan borrowers have a 90-day window starting July 1, 2026 to choose a new repayment plan — miss the deadline and the Department of Education picks one for you.
38% of Students Graduate With Zero Student Loan Debt — Here's What They Do Differently
38% of college students graduate with no student loan debt — and NPSAS data reveals the specific financial and enrollment choices that separate them from the borrowing majority.
Federal Grad Loan Caps Hit July 1 — and Private Lenders Won't Save Everyone
Nearly 4 in 10 grad students who need private loans to cover new federal borrowing caps have subprime or no credit — meaning they may not qualify for private loans at all when limits kick in July 1.
Wisconsin's 30-Year Minority Retention Grant Is Gone — And Similar Scholarships Could Be Next
Wisconsin's Supreme Court unanimously killed a 30-year-old minority student grant program — and the court's taxpayer-standing ruling could put similar race-based scholarships across the state in legal jeopardy.
July 1 Student Loan Deadline: What Every Borrower Must Do Before the Rules Change
7 million SAVE plan borrowers have 90 days from July 1 to pick a new repayment plan — or the government picks for them, likely at a higher monthly cost.
Whitman College Caps Tuition at 10% of Your Family's Income — and Covers It Fully If You Earn Under $100K
Whitman College caps tuition at 10% of family income, with full tuition coverage for households earning $100K or less — the Washington liberal arts school's new 10% Promise takes effect for the 2026–27 academic year.
Your Loan Servicer Is Calling — What SAVE Borrowers Need to Know Before July 1
Loan servicers are robocalling SAVE plan borrowers about a July 1 repayment switch — if you've gotten one of these calls, action may be required before the deadline.
Free Tuition, $250/Month Housing, and Single-Parent Scholarships: 3 Schools Tackling Basic Needs Head-On
42% of Pell recipients face food insecurity — three colleges are responding with programs ranging from $250/month stable housing in NYC to a first-dollar free tuition model in Texas that lets students use grant money for rent and food instead.
MBA Grads Averaged $77K in Student Debt — Here Are 7 Ways to Borrow Less
New federal rules effective July 1, 2026 eliminate Grad PLUS Loans for new MBA borrowers and cap lifetime graduate federal borrowing at $100,000 — making scholarships, employer tuition benefits, and part-time enrollment more critical than ever.
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