FAFSA Archives - College Initiative Helping families to successfully navigate the college admissions process Fri, 02 Jan 2026 18:35:17 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://collegeinitiative.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/cropped-logoSQUARE-02-e1683223180849-32x32.png FAFSA Archives - College Initiative 32 32 A Guide to the Different Types of College Student Loans. https://collegeinitiative.net/2023/05/22/different-types-of-college-student-loans/ Mon, 22 May 2023 19:41:26 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2996 It is crucial that families understand the different types of college student loans so that they are making an informed decision

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]]> Cost of Attendance and Other Confusing College Admission Terms https://collegeinitiative.net/2022/12/01/confusing-college-admission-terms/ Thu, 01 Dec 2022 18:47:06 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2731 It is absolutely essential that parents understand confusing college admission terms before allowing their student to commit to a college

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]]> Why the FAFSA is Important – Whether or Not You Need Financial Aid https://collegeinitiative.net/2022/08/23/fafsa-is-important/ Tue, 23 Aug 2022 20:11:23 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2664 Completing the FAFSA is important for more reasons than families may realize - from scholarships to changing financial circumstances.

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]]> The Simplified FAFSA Changes – The Good and The Bad https://collegeinitiative.net/2021/09/01/simplified-fafsa/ Wed, 01 Sep 2021 18:01:31 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2330 The simplified FAFSA is significantly shorter, and the Expected Family Contribution number is now a thing of the past. 

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]]> What You Need to Know About a College Financial Aid Appeal Letter https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/11/20/financial-aid-appeal-letter/ Fri, 20 Nov 2020 20:28:06 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=2205 Did your teen receive a disappointing financial aid award from their “dream school,” after you were celebrating their acceptance just days before? Not receiving the anticipated financial aid award feels like a blow – this could put that college out of reach financially, and no parent wants to disappoint their child, especially now. If this...

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]]> Why Should You Invest in a Qualified Tuition Program? https://collegeinitiative.net/2020/07/07/invest-in-a-qualified-tuition-program/ Tue, 07 Jul 2020 19:20:00 +0000 http://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1415 If you’re the parent of a potentially college-bound child, chances are that you have spent more than a few minutes thinking about the best way to finance that dream. While I have written previously about how to understand how much college really costs, I have never written specifically about the best way to save for...

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]]> What Does My EFC Number Mean, Really? https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/10/20/what-does-my-efc-number-mean-really/ https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/10/20/what-does-my-efc-number-mean-really/#comments Sun, 20 Oct 2019 21:20:55 +0000 https://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1751 When your oldest child begins high school, you may never have heard of the acronym, “EFC” before.  But by November of their senior year, most families of college-bound teens are not only familiar with the term, they likely know what their EFC number IS.  In general, most families feel that it’s too high.  But what...

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]]> https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/10/20/what-does-my-efc-number-mean-really/feed/ 13 Your College Applications Timeline for Senior Year https://collegeinitiative.net/2019/03/13/college-applications-timeline/ Wed, 13 Mar 2019 23:07:30 +0000 http://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1396 Senior year – the culmination of all the hard work your student has been doing to prepare for college. Application time is when all that they have been doing to prepare comes together. Ideally, you and your student have followed all of the advice about starting the college admissions process early. But if you haven’t,...

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]]> Important Financial Aid Questions You Didn’t Know to Ask https://collegeinitiative.net/2018/11/11/financial-aid-questions/ Sun, 11 Nov 2018 19:39:23 +0000 http://collegeinitiative.net/?p=1034 If you have been reading about college admissions for a while, you may already know some of the financial aid basics like what an EFC is.  And if you’ve been following me for a while, you likely know what an NPC is too.  However, the list below also includes financial aid questions you may not...

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]]> FAFSA vs. the CSS Profile Financial Aid Forms https://collegeinitiative.net/2018/09/16/fafsa-vs-css-profile/ Mon, 17 Sep 2018 01:30:46 +0000 http://collegeinitiative.net/?p=819 The FAFSA and CSS Profile open up on October 1st.  If you have a student planning to attend college next year, now is the time to get familiar with these financial aid forms. Before completing the forms, you will need to compile some of your financial information (okay, just about all of it!), as well...

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