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College List BuildingUC Berkeley Common Data Set
Sifting through a college’s Common Data Set can take a lot of time. Instead, we’ve gathered the most important information from UC Berkeley’s most recent Common Data Set to provide you with the information you need at a quick glance. This guide contains key information from UC Berkeley Common Data Set 2025-2026. Berkeley Common Data…
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ApplicationsCollege Admissions & Financing: Parents Offer Advice
When it comes to the difficult, complex parts of life, there’s nothing like getting advice from someone who’s been there. That’s why so many families turn to our Paying For College 101 Facebook group. Our community offers support and shares advice with each other about every aspect of the college admissions process every single day.…
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FinanceColleges That Meet Full Need – Or Do They?
Many families look for colleges that meet full need. This gives parents confidence that the school will come through with need-based aid to help them pay for college. Unfortunately, not every school that makes this claim really meets 100% of need, at least as far as families are concerned. Here’s what to look for before…
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College LifeCollege Dorm Checklist: Advice for Parents of Freshmen
I hesitate to write this, but I know it will be beneficial advice to parents of soon to be college freshmen. I have outfitted six college dorms at five different colleges. So I speak from my experiences of moving my kids into dorms at the following schools: Bowling Green State, Kent State, Eastern Michigan, Akron…
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ApplyCollege Essay Tips: How to Craft Your Best Story
Writing a Common App essay can make any student feel anxious and making it “great” creates even more pressure. This is especially true when the essay will help determine their admission into college. Fortunately, if you start early, there’s plenty of time to brainstorm, write, and edit the piece. You can help your student stay…
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Federal LoansCritical Information on How Student Loans Work
If you have reached the juncture in your child’s college admissions process when you are thinking about student loans, we have to say, “Congratulations!” While it may not be apparent right now, you have definitely made it through the hard part. The rest, figuring out how you’re going to close that financial gap and understanding…
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Student & Parent LoansWhat You Need to Know to Apply for Student Loans
If you’re like many parents of high school seniors in June, you’re ready to move forward in paying for the school your student will be attending in the fall. There are a lot of options, and by now you’ve probably heard of many of them. Will you use a home equity line of credit (HELOC),…
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FinanceHow I Compared All My Family’s Student Loan Options
When you look at the variety of funding options available to pay for college, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. Between federal loans, home equity, parent loans, and private student loans, where do you even start? According to a survey of 3,510 parents of college students from College Ave Student Loans conducted by Barnes & Noble…
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Student & Parent LoansThe Tremendous Value of Private Student Loan Prequalification
Are you able to do a prequalification for your private student loans? If you aren’t sure – or the answer is no – you may want to look for another lender. Prequalification is enormously valuable, and if you don’t take advantage of the process, you’re definitely missing out. Here’s what you need to know about…
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Student & Parent LoansUnderstanding Student and Parent Loan Options for College
College has become one of the biggest financial decisions a family makes. If you still come up short after researching “free” money to aid in defraying costs, loans can further assist in bridging the gap. In a Facebook Live, Angela Colatriano, of College Ave Student Loans, helped us sort through the details about federal and…
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College Financial Aid Costs and StatsStudent Loans – Frequently Asked Questions
As we’ve helped parents (and students) and watched them assist each other in our Paying For College 101 Facebook group, we’ve noticed there are some common questions that come up about student loans. We’d like to answer those here so that when the time come — schools have been chosen, financial aid packages will have…
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College Financial Aid Costs and StatsLender Profile: Connext Student Loans
Connext is backed by a network of regional banks and credit unions to provide students with private loans for school. They offer both undergraduate and graduate loans. Many borrowers need a cosigner, but there is cosigner release available. Find out more about Connext student loans below! Connext Student Loan Summary About Student Loans from Connext…
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Student & Parent LoansLender Profile: LendKey Private Student Loans
LendKey offers access to community lenders offering private student loans. Undergraduates may generally need a cosigner to qualify due to credit standards, but the cosigner can be released in specific conditions. LendKey offers both variable and fixed interest rates and a variety of borrowing and lending options. Find out more about LendKey student loans below!…
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High school to collegeIt’s May 1st – National College Decision Day. See Where Everyone Is Going……
It’s been a long process for all involved, so congratulations on making it through the maze of what is college admissions in this day and age. The video above celebrates the students of families from our Paying For College 101 Facebook group. Congratulations to ALL – students, parents, teachers, coaches, counselors, anyone who has helped…
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FinanceAll the Ways Your Home Can Help You Pay for College
Your house is an asset. That means that when you have a significant expense, it should be able to help you pay for it, right? The good news is that your home CAN help you pay for college. The bad news is that some options require you to take on additional debt. Others, however, do…
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FinanceTap Your Home Equity For School – With No Payments!
You have some equity in your home and it would be great to be able to use it to pay for your student’s schooling. However, you can’t afford to take out more debt and make more payments. Are you stuck? Not anymore. A new product, called Unison Homeowner, allows you to partner with investors to…
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Finance10 Family Sacrifices to Help Pay for College
We’re in the same boat as you. We’re solidly middle class. So, to make college affordable, we’ve literally forced and micromanaged our oldest child (a sophomore at our State University) to maintain his GPA high enough to keep his full-tuition scholarships. If he wants to live on campus, he simply has to be an RA…
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Student & Parent LoansLender Profile: SoFi Parent Loans
SoFi offers parent loans for parents and guardians of students. Unlike many other private parent loans, SoFi does offer the option of having another parent or guardian cosign the loan. However, there is no cosigner release. Find out more about SoFi Parent loans below! SoFi Parent Loan Summary About Parent Loans from SoFi SoFi focuses…
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College Financial Aid Costs and StatsLender Profile: CommonBond Student Loans
CommonBond offers student loans for undergraduates, graduates, and MBA students. Undergraduate borrowers must have a creditworthy cosigner to apply. What makes CommonBond stand out are their lower interest rates and their focus on giving back to children in need with every loan. Find out more about CommonBond student loans below! CommonBond Student Loan Summary Visit…
