by Jan Combs, former financial aid officer at Harvard Graduate School of Education

With 2021 just hours away, many will be contemplating their New Year’s resolutions. Eating healthier, carving out more “me time,” reading more, or restarting that favorite hobby… Those are all worthy resolutions for the new year, but can I add one more for your consideration? How about focusing on financial literacy in 2021? This is one of my favorite resolutions, and there is no better time to regroup and freshen up that financial plan than at the beginning of a new year!

In another segment in our Med School Series, we’ll consider post-baccalaureate programs, including what they are and who would benefit. We’ve been giving a lot of attention to early action, early decision, and priority decision admissions plans, but this week we’re all about regular decision lists and planning. Finally, for those of you hoping to establish better financial habits in the new year, we have suggestions on developing a spending plan.

If you couldn’t otherwise afford to attend college, applying for financial aid is a no-brainer. Of course you should complete a FAFSA! The decision may not quite as simple, however, for families who may be able to pay for college on their own. Is there any reason you should submit a FAFSA if you don’t expect to qualify for financial aid? Find out from former Boston University and Tufts University financial aid officer, Shannon Vasconcelos, in the first installment of the Bright Horizons College Coach video series, Ask the College Finance Expert.

by Shannon Vasconcelos, former financial aid officer at Tufts University

For rising high school seniors who are finalizing their college lists—or juniors who are just starting to get serious about their college search—one feature you may be looking for in a college is generosity.  Specifically, how generous is a college with their need-based financial aid programs?

This is part four of an ongoing series we’ve launched on the Insider blog on “Kids and Money.” As you prepare to send your child off to college, you should also be thinking about how to foster in them the skills necessary to build financial independence. In this series, we’re discussing how students can earn, spend, save, borrow, and protect their money in a way that aligns with personal and family values. Type “Kids and Money” into our Search Box to find all installments of the series.

Ever feel like you are becoming a mobile cash machine for your children? Until now in our Kids and Money series, I’ve been talking about helping your kids dream and set SMAAHT financial goals; well, now it’s your turn to dream of what life could look like by helping your kids manage their own money (and leave yours alone!).

This is part three of an ongoing series we’ve launched on the Insider blog on “Kids and Money.” As you prepare to send your child off to college, you should also be thinking about how to foster in them the skills necessary to build financial independence. In this series, we’re discussing how students can earn, spend, save, borrow, and protect their money in a way that aligns with personal and family values. Type “Kids and Money” into our Search Box to find all installments of the series.

As summer jobs come to an end and the new school year quickly approaches, now is the perfect time to be planning with your kids on how to divvy up any leftover summer job earnings.

Contemplating a liberal arts degree but concerned about how that will translate into your career? Convinced that your child must major in a pre-professional area if they’re ever going to make a living? We get it: college—and life—are expensive, and these are important concerns. That’s why we’re exploring the value of a liberal arts degree when it comes time to actually get a job. We’re also talking through the impact of owning real estate on the financial aid process.

[Video] How Do I Pay for College without Financial Aid?

Paying for college for middle income families can be a challenge. When you make too much money to qualify for financial aid, but not enough to be able to write a check, you can feel stuck. Former Tufts University financial aid officer Jeanne Mahan understands your predicament and offers her insight on putting the financial puzzle pieces together.

Families of high school seniors tasked with making a college enrollment decision over the next few weeks are in a tough position. They are about to make a huge purchase—likely one of the largest financial investments of their lives—without knowing exactly how much it will cost them. While the family needs to be prepared to take on four years’ of tuition payments, they only have a financial aid offer for one year in front of them. How do they know they can count on this financial aid for all four years?

Putting Together a Payment Strategy for College

After your child has deposited at the college of their choice, the pressure of meeting college costs all of a sudden becomes very real. That first college bill is usually sent out in July with a due date in August. What takes many parents by surprise is that the bills are sent directly to the student, either via snail mail or, much more commonly, via an electronic notification, either to the student’s new college email address, or to their student account portal, which typically requires the student to log in and retrieve their billing statement.