Home - College Money Tips

College Admission. Scholarships. Financial Aid. Simplified.

Want to feel in control of the college search?

1. Get Your Essential Timeline and Checklist for the College Search so you know what steps to tackle next!

2. Need College Money Tips’ expert insight on financial aid, scholarships or applications? Check out your how-to guides!

3. Get help right now with the College Visit Toolkit to help you navigate college visits this spring!



Financial Aid and Scholarships

Colleges are great at saying, “We have hundreds of scholarships available!” But that just provokes more questions: What is need-based financial aid? How do scholarships work?

Ask the Admission Office

The college search process is so exciting! But it can give you a little tummy trouble, too. Here’s everything you need to know about college visits from a parent’s perspective.

Building lasting relationships is the key to a successful college experience. And it starts the minute your child sets foot on campus. Did you know that building relationships can also impact your college money outcomes?

Featured in

Hi! I’m Melissa.

My goal is to help you along the college journey with one goal in mind: To simplify it.

Let’s go!

I’m a longtime admission professional, personal finance writer, editor, wife and parent of two (very!) busy kiddos.

I hatched my site after listening to hundreds of families’ needs and wants, trekking to dozens of college fairs. I know I have the solution to your head-scratching questions.

I know the college visit process can get simpler.

Let me show you how.

Best Private Student Loans of 2023

When your child applies for financial aid through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), they may experience a gap between the cost of the school and the financial aid they actually receive. A private student loan, which may come from an online lender,...

Are College Tours Free?

College certainly isn't free, what with the cost of tuition, room, board and fees, college applications, the cost of standardized tests and more. It's easy to think that those are the only costs involved in the process, but they aren't. So, in general, are...

What is Deferred in College Admission?

What is deferred in college admission? "Deferred" means that a college or university hasn't finished reviewing your child's admission and will decide on your child's admission status at a later date. Deferred admission usually happens in two different...

What is Considered a Private Student Loan?

Private student loans are a type of loan that undergraduate and graduate students can use to pay for college. Unlike federal student loans, which come from the federal government (the Department of Education, to be specific), private student loans come from private...

How Long Are College Tours?

How long are college tours? It's a great question when your child is getting started on the path to visiting colleges. However, understanding the answer to "how long is a college tour?" isn't as simple as it seems. Why not? First, it's important to understand...