BFSG Blog

Financial Resources & News

College Cost Data Released for 2023-2024

Every year, the College Board releases new college cost data and trends in its annual report. The figures published are average cost figures based on a survey of approximately 4,000 colleges across the country. Over the past 20 years, the average price for tuition, fees, and room and board has increased 38% at public colleges and 29% at private colleges over and above increases in the Consumer...

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College Financial Aid: FAFSA Changes Coming Soon

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a financial aid form administered by the Department of Education that helps students qualify for loans and financial aid. The FAFSA window typically opens every year on October 1 for high school seniors planning to attend college in the following year and for returning college students. However, due to an extensive redesign of the...

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College Financial Aid: FAFSA Changes Coming Soon

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is a financial aid form administered by the Department of Education that helps students qualify for loans and financial aid. The FAFSA window typically opens every year on October 1 for high school seniors planning to attend college in the following year and for returning college students. However, due to an extensive redesign of the FAFSA,...

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What’s Happening in the World of Higher Education?

A 2023 survey revealed a notable shift in public opinion over the past decade about the value of a college degree: 56% of Americans think a four-year college degree isn't worth the cost due to students graduating with significant debt and a lack of specific job skills vs. 42% who believe college is worth it. The survey numbers have almost reversed from ten years ago, while college enrollment has...

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New FAFSA Rules Around Grandparent Owned 529 Plans

By: Henry VanBuskirk, CFP®, Wealth Manager One of the biggest decisions that a person about to graduate from high school can make in life is whether or not they choose to go to college. That’s also why it’s no coincidence that when toymaker Milton Bradley was designing the board game, The Game of Life®, one of the first things you do in the game is to decide whether or not your character will go...

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October is the Kickoff Month for Financial Aid

October is the kickoff month for financial aid. That's when incoming and returning college students can start filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the next academic year. The FAFSA is a prerequisite for federal student loans, grants, and work-study, and may be required by colleges before they distribute their own institutional aid to students. How do I submit the...

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New FAFSA Rules: Build an Educational Legacy for your Grandchildren

Withdrawals from 529 educational accounts owned by grandparents and others outside the nuclear family will soon have no impact whatsoever on federal financial aid eligibility due to new changes to the forthcoming simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Previously, those withdrawals had to be reported two years later on the FAFSA as student income. Read here for more...

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October 1 is the Kickoff Season for College Financial Aid (FAFSA)

October is the kickoff season for financial aid. That's when incoming and returning college students can start filing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, for the next academic year. The FAFSA is a prerequisite for federal student loans, grants, and work-study, and may be required by colleges before they distribute their own institutional aid to students. How do I submit the...

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Federal Student Loan Interest Rates Set to Increase for 2021-2022

After two years of decreases, interest rates on federal student loans are set to increase almost a full percentage point for the 2021-2022 school year.1 The interest rates on federal student loans are reset each year after the May auction of the 10-year Treasury note. The rates apply to new federal student loans issued on or after July 1, 2021, through June 30, 2022. The interest rate is fixed...

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529 Educational Accounts Impact on Financial Aid

For many families, saving for kids’ education has become a priority and for a good reason. The average tuition for the 2021 school year ranged from approximately $11,000 (for in-state colleges) to over $41,000 (for private colleges)1. That is approximately 2.5 times what the cost was in the early 2000s, so it would be fair to expect this cost to be substantially higher in the future. For those...

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3 Interesting Facts to Consider When Choosing a College

This time of year, it is important for high school Seniors (and Juniors) to consider their plans after high school. The FAFSA process begins on October 1st and check out our recent blog post for more information. Below are some things to consider whether to go to college or not as well as what majors to consider. Below are jobs considered the best to have for the future: JobGrowth Rate...

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The Time for Financial Aid is Now

If you or a child plans on attending college for the 2021-2022 school year (i.e. next fall) the most important step is to start the process early for financial aid. The first step is to complete the FAFSA, which is the government form used to determine how much financial aid the student may qualify for. Who Should Complete The FAFSA? High school seniors planning on attending college next fall or...

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