Funding Your Education
You may have heard that the sticker price of a college education has increased dramatically in the last several years. That’s true…but the actual cost paid by the average student remains far less than the published list price. Colleges have more generous financial aid programs than ever before, and many colleges offer substantial discounts for students with strong high school grades and other desirable characteristics.
Unfortunately, the system is confusing, and there are important deadlines that can make a big difference in final cost. So if you only have a vague idea of what “FAFSA” is and you’ve never even heard of the “CSS Profile,” you’re in the right place.
Do we earn too much to get financial aid?
Maybe not! Many colleges have expanded financial aid for middle-class families. It’s often possible for families making low six-figure incomes to receive modest need-based aid (and up to full tuition at the wealthiest colleges).
Can I get money for college from the FAFSA?
Not exactly - FAFSA is just a form for entering financial information. Colleges require you to submit this form, and then most use the information to determine how much financial aid you are eligible to receive from the college.
What on earth is the CSS Profile?
It’s a more detailed financial aid form required by around 200 colleges that tend to give pretty generous financial aid. If colleges require this, it means they have money to give and need to make sure that they are distributing it fairly.
Shouldn’t we apply for every scholarship we can?
Not necessarily. Independent scholarships tend to be either highly competitive or very small — you could spend a huge amount of time and effort applying and still not meaningfully reduce your college costs.
College is more affordable than you think.
Sticker prices continue to increase, but scholarships and financial aid are more generous than ever.
