by Joanne Dashiell | Sep 24, 2020 | Admissions, Blog
Colleges require one or more of the following applications to apply for federal, state and institutional financial aid. In light of Covid-19, deadlines may have changed or vary from last year. Missing them can mean missing out on financial aid you would have been...
by Joanne Dashiell | Sep 24, 2020 | Admissions, Blog
Q.If I’m still finalizing my college list and because of Covid-19 I can’t visit campuses, are there other things I should be doing to prepare to apply? A.Even if you can’t visit and your list is not final, there is plenty you can do. Like you, college admissions...
by Joanne Dashiell | Aug 5, 2020 | Admissions, Blog
Q.My child is entering her senior year of high school, and obviously college visits are out. How can parents support the totally virtual college search? A.This is a question close to my heart because I have a daughter who’s a rising senior, too. My advice comes from...
by Joanne Dashiell | Aug 3, 2020 | Blog, Saving
What does flipping through a magazine in a doctor’s office have to do with saving for college? For Brenna DeLaine, a physician herself, it resulted in saving thousands of dollars for her children’s higher education tuition costs. It was about 16 years ago when Brenna...
by Joanne Dashiell | Jun 11, 2020 | News
ThankAdvisor shares a new survey showing Americans are coming down on the side of safety in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic—it finds that 72% are interested in protection-type financial products. Advisors: Are you equipped to discuss prepaid 529 plans with clients...
by Joanne Dashiell | Jun 10, 2020 | Blog, Saving
Andrew Spargo likes his newspapers—the printed version—not the online sites. So he was reading The Wall Street Journal in 2003 when he saw an ad for a new way to save for college, called Independent 529. (It’s now Private College 529 Plan.) At the time, Andrew and...
by Joanne Dashiell | May 18, 2020 | Blog, Saving
Ken and Trina Weingarten know finances and believe strongly in higher education. They have made saving for their daughters’ (Sofia and Elena) college expenses a high priority since they were young. The couple has operated Weingarten Associates, a financial and tax...
by Joanne Dashiell | Apr 24, 2020 | Blog
The students may be home finishing the academic year online, but there’s still plenty of activity on college campuses. Many institutions, including members of Private College 529 Plan, are actively engaged in fighting Coronavirus in their local communities and beyond:...
by Joanne Dashiell | Apr 21, 2020 | Blog, Financial Aid
Updated March 2021 Q.Our family’s financial situation has changed since we completed the financial aid applications. Can we appeal our financial aid award? A.The Covid 19 pandemic has brought this question to the fore. If affordability is a concern,...
by Joanne Dashiell | Apr 16, 2020 | Blog, Saving
John Heidbreder had funds from an inheritance from his father and he had a great plan – use the money to pay college tuition for his two daughters. In 2003, he put those funds into Private College 529 accounts for each daughter. College tuition was rising sharply...
by Joanne Dashiell | Mar 3, 2020 | News
Private College 529’s President, Bob Cole, discusses recent research that demonstrates the benefits of having both types of 529 accounts.
by Joanne Dashiell | Feb 27, 2020 | Press Releases
ST. LOUIS – Private College 529 Plan, the nation’s only 529 college savings plan not run by a state government, is now partnering with a new program administrator, investment provider and custodian to enhance service to account owners and member colleges and...
by Joanne Dashiell | Feb 19, 2020 | Blog, Financial Aid
Updated February 2021 Q.The award letter is for next year only. Can we expect the same amount of financial aid every year? A. The major factors considered in a need-based financial aid award include the cost of education (which may increase from year to year)...
by Joanne Dashiell | Feb 19, 2020 | Blog, Financial Aid
Eligibility can vary significantly from one college to the next simply because of the COA. At College A, the student can receive up to $40,000 in financial aid, but is only eligible for up to $10,000 at College B. Colleges determine eligibility for need-based...
by Joanne Dashiell | Jan 30, 2020 | Admissions, Blog
Updated December 2020 Q.My high school senior was waitlisted at one of the colleges they applied to. What happens next? A. First, provide encouragement. A wait list offer means the college would like to admit the student if a space opens up—they should feel great...
by Joanne Dashiell | Dec 12, 2019 | Blog, Financial Aid, Scholarships
Q.I’ve heard I shouldn’t apply for outside scholarships because it will impact my financial aid. Is that true? A. All outside scholarships need to be reported to the financial aid office at the colleges you are applying to. This can impact the financial aid...
by Joanne Dashiell | Dec 12, 2019 | Blog, Financial Aid, Scholarships
A great place to start is through online search platforms such as Fastweb, Cappex, College Board and scholarships.com. These are just a few of the search tools available where students can create a profile and filter through millions of dollars of available...
by Joanne Dashiell | Nov 19, 2019 | Admissions, Blog
Q.What’s the right number of colleges to apply to? A. We’ve seen an increasing trend of students applying to more and more colleges—it’s not uncommon to find students applying to over ten or fifteen schools these days. However, the true driver of success...
by Joanne Dashiell | Oct 16, 2019 | Blog, Financial Aid
Updated October 2020 The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, is required by all colleges, and in some cases, it’s the only application needed to award financial aid from all sources. The FAFSA can be completed online at FAFSA.gov as early as October...
by Joanne Dashiell | Oct 16, 2019 | Blog, Financial Aid
Updated October 2020 Q.How do we report 529 college savings on the FAFSA and CSS Profile? Will our savings impact financial aid eligibility and should we still apply? A.When completing the FAFSA and CSS Profile for a dependent student, 529 college savings and...
