With college application season just wrapping up, many families’ thoughts are turning to financial aid. College Coach’s finance experts are flooded this time of year with some variation of the question, “Do I need to complete a FASFA if I’m not going to qualify for financial aid?” The short answer to that question is “no.” The FAFSA is a financial aid application, and no student is required to apply for financial aid. Believe me, colleges will be more than happy to admit your child without providing you any financial assistance. Still, there are many reasons why you may want to complete an aid application even if you don’t expect to qualify for need-based assistance:

Applying for financial aid when parents are divorced, unmarried, or remarried can get complicated. In this installment of the College Coach video series, We Can Explain, former financial aid officer Shannon Vasconcelos provides a basic understanding of how income and assets are considered in the FAFSA and CSS Profile.

Many high school seniors wait until they’ve been accepted to a college to worry about how to pay for it. Unfortunately, however, by the time you receive a college acceptance, you have likely already missed the school’s financial aid application deadline, and may have missed out on thousands of dollars of assistance. When, then, should you be applying for financial aid? Find out on the Edmit blog, where former Boston University and Tufts University financial aid officer, Shannon Vasconcelos answers the most common questions about timing that financial aid application.

Many students decide to pursue an MBA on a part-time basis. It can be more affordable, particularly when considering the alternative opportunity cost of giving up your income for two years to attend business school full time. Still, paying for an MBA is rarely easy, even when maintaining a full-time income. Many students are in the market for financial aid and aren’t sure how to begin.  If this sounds like you, check out the latest contribution by College Coach finance expert and former Babson College financial aid officer, Michelle Clifton, to the Fortuna Admissions blog.

How Many Years Can I Receive Financial Aid for College?

It takes 4 years for a student to complete a typical undergraduate degree, right? Not necessarily. Today, students are taking longer to graduate for a variety of reasons, from a decline in personal and institutional resources to indecision about choice of major at the time of enrollment. If you’re currently weighing options for a fifth year (or more) of college, we’ve provided a few things to consider as you manage your college payment plan.

150 Percent Rule for Subsidized Direct Student Loans: A new federal regulation may impact students who receive Federal Subsidized Direct Loans. These programs are now available for only 150 percent of the semesters that the college publishes as the typical time it takes students to complete their degree or certificate. This “150 percent rule” means students in a four-year degree program will be eligible for subsidized student loans for the equivalent of six years.  Eligible fifth and sixth year students should be able to benefit from this loan program as long as they meet the college’s definition of Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) and are on track to graduate within this time frame.

If you ask about costs while visiting a college campus, you will likely be told something to the effect of, “Don’t worry about it—you can get financial aid!” And while that statement holds true for many students, not everyone is eligible for financial aid. How can you determine whether your family will qualify for financial aid? Check out the latest installment of our video series, We Can Explain.

Have your financial aid packages left you overwhelmed by the cost of college? Maybe you have heard about appealing the financial aid offered, but aren’t sure if you should go for it. And if you do decide to ask for more money, where do you start? We have the answers to all your burning questions!

At the dawn of the New Year, many parents resolved to make 2019 the year they kick their college savings into gear. Some parents hesitate to save, however, assuming their savings will cost them financial aid. Is this a correct assumption to make? Former St. Olaf College financial aid officer, Kathy Ruby, tells us in the latest installment of our video series, Ask the College Finance Expert, when she answers the question, “Will Saving for College Cost Me Financial Aid?”

As early round admission decisions start to roll in, students across the country are receiving both good (accepted) and bad (denied) news. And along with these clear-cut outcomes, many students are receiving some ambiguous news: yes, you’ve been accepted, but no, we are not awarding you enough financial aid to actually allow you to attend. This type of result can actually be the worst of all for families, as it often puts parents in the heartbreaking position of having to say no to their child’s dream school. Is there, however, any other option?

The FAFSA form opened up to high school seniors and their parents on October 1^st, meaning the financial aid application season is well under way. With the cost of college being so far out of reach for most families, many students are counting on financial aid to make their college dreams a reality, but the process of applying—and maximizing aid resources—can be confusing. How, then, can you make sure you’re accessing all of the financial aid you may be entitled to?