For 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?

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?

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 College Coach video series, Ask the College Finance Expert.

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.

This is the third of a four-part series on the subject of overparenting, this post digging into how to pay for college. Be sure to also check out our recently published posts on how to play an appropriate role in your middle schooler’s life and in your child’s college admission process, and stay tuned for our upcoming post on your role as a parent in the life of your college student.

The latest episode of Getting In: A College Coach Conversation focused on following a day in the life of a college admissions officer and financial planning for all four years of college.