Financial Aid & 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?
Melissa Brock
Writer & Blogger
My name is Melissa and I’m a longtime admission professional, personal finance writer, editor and parent of two (very!) busy kiddos. I couldn’t make it all happen without my husband, Steve.
I hatched my site because I’ve heard so many head-scratching questions from parents. I’ve journeyed in the footsteps of hundreds of families, trekked to dozens of college fairs and even weighed the (billions?) of college savings options for my own two kiddos.
How to Apply for a Parent PLUS Loan: What Parents Need to Know
In many cases, there’s a gap between the cost of a college and what financial aid offers. Bummer, huh? Direct PLUS loans are a type of federal student loan available to parents of dependent undergraduate students and independent graduate students to...
Demystifying Subsidized Loans: What Parents Need to Know
Financing a college education can feel overwhelming, especially when sorting through different loan options. Among federal student loans, Federal Direct Subsidized Loans offer key advantages. What is a subsidized loan? These loans help reduce financial strain by...
Mastering Financial Aid: A 2025 Guide to the New FAFSA for Your Nursing Education
The landscape of financial aid has transformed dramatically since the major FAFSA overhaul of 2024. Today's streamlined process offers unprecedented accessibility, but understanding the nuances remains crucial for securing educational funding. This comprehensive guide...
What is Merit Aid? Everything You Need to Know About Merit-Based Financial Aid
When you start looking into all the different types of financial aid, your confusion level may feel like it's flying off the charts. Among the different types of financial aid, including loans, grants, scholarships and work-study (the main types), merit aid is another...
Room and Board Meaning: What is Room and Board in College?
When your child compiles a college list, you'll discover that the cost analysis sheet contains many line items. Besides tuition, room and board will almost always climb to the top of the expense list. But what is the meaning of room and board? Put simply, it's a...