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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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College Financial PlanningHow to Pay for College: A Family’s Step-by-Step Guide and Borrowing Blueprint Tool
About the author: Debbie Schwartz founded Road2College in 2014 to help families navigate the realities of paying for college. She previously worked in finance at Vanguard, Fidelity, and Accenture, and holds an MBA from MIT Sloan. Too many families pay for college with the wrong sources in the wrong order. This guide shows the right…
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AdviceBeyond Grades: What Actually Helped Students Win More Merit Aid and Scholarships
We asked parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group what factors — beyond grades — made the biggest difference in the scholarships and merit aid their students received. The response was overwhelming. Here’s what they told us. Test Scores: The Single Most Mentioned Factor If there’s one thing this community agreed on, it’s…
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AdviceA Different Approach to College Admissions: Less Stress, More Savings
Editor’s Note: This originally appeared as a post in our private Facebook group called Paying for College 101. Retired admissions director and author Peter Pitts is a frequent group contributor, and we publish some of his posts as articles to benefit a wider audience. He’s an advocate of the value of small colleges. Now that I have…
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ApplyThe New Ivies in 2026: Academics, Admissions and Affordability
If you’re considering colleges, the “New Ivies” present strong options. Use this guide to explore and compare them by academics, admissions, and affordability. In This Article: What Are the New Ivies? The “New Ivies” refer to colleges recognized for their academics, impact, and post-graduate outcomes, rivaling the Ivy League. The term was popularized by Newsweek…
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AdviceTransfer Merit Scholarships at Small Private Colleges: 70 Schools Worth Checking Out
Editor’s Note: This originally appeared as a post in our private Facebook group called Paying for College 101. Retired admissions director and author Peter Pitts is a frequent group contributor, and we publish some of his posts as articles to benefit a wider audience. He’s an advocate of the value of small colleges. Does your student plan…
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AdviceHow to Pay for College: A Complete Guide to Every Option Available to Your Family
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. College is one of the biggest expenses most families will ever take on — second only to buying a home, and in many cases exceeding it. The families who navigate it best treat it like any other…
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College Financial PlanningParent PLUS Loan vs. Private Student Loan: Which Is Right for Your Family?
When federal grants, scholarships, and your student’s Direct loans still leave a funding gap, most families face the same fork in the road: a Parent PLUS loan or a private student loan with a cosigner. These are not the same product. They have different interest rates, different borrower protections, different tax treatment, and — as…
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CareersFrom Broadway to the Operating Room: What Arts Majors Do After College
If your student is passionate about theater, music, or art, you’ve probably asked yourself — or them — the question every arts family eventually faces: But what will you do with that degree? It turns out the answer is far more varied, surprising, and often inspiring than most families expect. We asked parents in our…
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Student & Parent LoansWhat Are Private Student Loans for College?
As your student looks at options to finance a college education, you may be struggling to keep everything straight. There are various sources of funding – federal loans, scholarships, private loans, and more. Understanding the pros and cons of each source of money is vital to making the right decisions for your family. What are…
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Student & Parent LoansParent PLUS Loan Limits: What Every Family Needs to Know
Parent PLUS loans now have annual and lifetime borrowing caps for new borrowers. If your family has relied on Parent PLUS to fill the gap between financial aid and college costs, those rules have changed in ways that affect how much you can borrow, what repayment options you have, and whether a private loan might…
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College Financial PlanningHow Do Student Loans Work: Guide to Federal, State and Private College Loans
Students and parents often must borrow money to help pay college tuition and other educational expenses. However, understanding how student loans work and navigating the process can be daunting. This article explains the different types of student loans and how they work, and it offers insights on finding the student loan that’s right for you.…
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AdviceWe Applied to 24 BFA Acting Programs. Here’s Everything We Spent, Every School We Tried, and What We’d Do Differently
One Massachusetts mom in our Paying for College 101 Facebook group shared an inside look at what it really takes — financially, logistically, and emotionally — to help your student pursue a BFA Acting degree. If you’ve ever searched for real, detailed information about the college audition process for performing arts students, you know how…
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AdviceA Parent’s Year-by-Year Guide to College Planning (Middle School to Senior Year)
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. My third—and final—kid is wrapping up the college application process, and I’ve now been in the thick of this for more than six years. Over that time, I’ve discovered some things matter more than you think (like…
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ACTHow to Find a College Where Your Student Will Thrive
One of the biggest misconceptions in the college search is that there’s a single “best” type of college. But talk to enough families and a very different picture emerges. Students thrive in diverse environments, depending on who they are, how they learn, and what they value. We asked parents in our Paying for College 101 Facebook…
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AdviceWant Lower College Costs? Start in the Midwest (66 Great Options)
Many people in the Paying for College 101 Facebook group are from the East and West coasts of the United States. Unfortunately, in regard to the cost of a small college education, those two coasts are the most expensive. Even if the college gives a substantial amount of merit aid, the average out-of-pocket cost for…
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ApplyBest U.S. Aviation Schools: Quality, Affordability, and Overall Value
This is a guide to top U.S. aviation bachelor’s programs, ranked for overall quality and credibility, then compared on costs, flight fees, financial aid, and overall value. Also, get a best-fit checklist. Inside This Article: Quick Summary: Families looking for the right aviation bachelor’s program should consider multiple factors. The strongest programs combine a high-quality…
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Merit ScholarshipsTop U.S. Engineering Schools by Academics, Aid and Value (2026)
Choosing the right engineering school can feel overwhelming. You want a program that’s strong in academics, gives you good financial support, and delivers a return on your investment after you graduate. In this updated list for 2026, we highlight the top undergraduate engineering schools in the U.S. and what makes them worth considering. Also, follow…
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AdviceWhat This Track Athlete’s College Search Can Teach Every Family About Affordability
This story was first published in our Paying for College 101 Facebook community. It’s been edited for clarity and flow. I’m sharing this in case it helps another parent starting the college process—because this year taught us a LOT. Student Profile Because we weren’t eligible for need-based aid, all awards were merit and/or athletic scholarships. Based…
