College Planning Blog & Student Resources

Federal and private student loans are not interchangeable. Borrow them in the wrong order and you give up protections you can't get back. Here's the 2026 playbook.

Subsidized and unsubsidized federal loans look almost identical on your aid letter. One quietly costs you thousands more. Here's how to tell them apart and borrow in the right order.

Your federal student loans give you a 6-month grace period after graduation. Here's what it covers, what it doesn't, and the interest trap that catches unsubsidized borrowers.

Best US cities for international students 2026: beyond NYC and Boston. Pittsburgh, Atlanta, Madison, Austin and more, with specific tradeoffs.

How to apply to college on a budget: fee waivers, free tools, smart application list construction. Practical guide for cost-conscious applicants.

Common App essay prompts 2026-2027 decoded: what each prompt actually asks for, what works, what to avoid. Practical guide to choosing the right prompt.

Financial aid appeal letter template that actually works in 2026: three-paragraph structure, documentation checklist, what aid officers respond to.

First-gen college students: what to actually do in the first six weeks. Office hours, financial aid counselor, money decisions that compound.

Deferment vs forbearance on student loans: the difference can cost you thousands. Eligibility, interest accrual, and the better alternative most borrowers miss.

SAVE is gone, but several real federal student loan forgiveness programs still exist in 2026. Here's exactly who qualifies for PSLF, IDR forgiveness, and the lesser-known options.

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act overhauled Pell Grant eligibility for 2026-27. Vocational programs now qualify, but part-time students get hit. Here are the 4 changes that matter most.

Current borrowers may keep the old federal student loan limits for up to 3 years under the OBBBA legacy provision. Here's exactly who qualifies, what the window covers, and what to do.

Federal loan caps and the death of Grad PLUS mean way more students will need private loans in 2026-27. Here's how to pick a lender, what rates to expect, and what to watch out for.

The federal Grad PLUS program ends July 1, 2026. Here's what's replacing it, how much you can still borrow, and how to fund the gap without making a $200K mistake.

Starting July 1, 2026, federal student loans get a $257,500 lifetime cap under the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. Here's exactly how it works, who's affected, and what to do next.

Tuition is up across the board for 2026-27. We rounded up confirmed sticker price increases at major universities, what they actually translate to in aid packages, and how to think about borrowing without panicking.

Most "scholarship lists" online are full of broken links and expired deadlines. Here's one confirmed scholarship closing May 31, plus the actual playbook for finding real, current scholarship deadlines without wasting your time.

Princeton was the last holdout. Every Ivy except Columbia now requires the SAT or ACT for Class of 2030 applicants. Here's what that actually means for how you should prep, and whether the rest of the country is about to follow.

Parent PLUS loans hit 9.07% for 2026-27, plus a 4.228% origination fee. For parents with strong credit, private student loans can come in well below that. Here's how to decide which one fits, and the protections you'd be trading away if you go private.

Federal student loan rates went up again for 2026-27. Undergrad direct loans are now 6.52%. Here's what that means for your monthly payment, when refinancing makes sense, and how to think about it without overreacting.