When you take into account all the sources of college aid that are available to students in this country, roughly nine percent comes from state governments. Recently that amounted to $9.2 billion. How states dispense this aid varies significantly. While nearly all states are strapped for cash, some are far more generous than others to [...]
Financial Aid Practices in the 50 States
on May 17, 2012 in College Costs, Financial aid, Money, Scholarships
Stunning: How Many Are Borrowing for College
on May 14, 2012 in College Costs, Money, Student Loans
One aspect of the top story that appeared in yesterday’s New York Times shocked me. The number of students who borrow for college is much higher than I thought. I’ve routinely seen estimates that two-thirds of students take out loans for college. The New York Times, however, conducted an analysis that concluded that 94% of [...]
The Odds of Getting a Sports Scholarship: Part II
on May 11, 2012 in Scholarships
Since there is so much interest in sports scholarships, I decided to devote another college blog post to the subject. If you missed yesterday’s post, here it is: The Odds of Getting an Athletic Scholarship I’ve met many parents who ask about particular sports and the odds of winning an athletic scholarship. I’m afraid a [...]
The Odds of Getting an Athletic Scholarship
on May 10, 2012 in Money, Scholarships
Do you hope that your child is going to win an athletic scholarship? I run into a lot of people lately who hope/expect their children to pay for college with their athletic prowess. Some of these jocks, by the way, are in grade school! I’m not kidding. Even my own sister, whose daughter is 10, [...]
The Realities of Merit Scholarships
on May 3, 2012 in Admission practices, Admissions, Applying, Money, Scholarships
I am attending something called the Super ACAC conference this week in Reno, NV. It’s a rare combined meeting of three related organizations that cover California, the Pacific Northwest and much of the rest of the western United States. College admission administrators, high school counselors and independent college consultants are attending the conference. On my [...]
Agonizing Before the Buzzer Rings
on May 1, 2012 in Admissions, Applying, Colleges, Liberal Arts Colleges, Money, Student Loans, Universities
The time for agonizing is over. It’s college decision day which means the parents of high school seniors have little time left before they must put down their college deposits. As the deadline loomed, I heard from families, who were stressed about their decisions and, in some cases, how they were going to pay the [...]
About Lynn
In addition to writing her nationally known blog here on TheCollegeSolution.com, Lynn O’Shaughnessy is an author, higher-ed journalist, speaker and college consultant. Lynn writes about college strategies for CBSMoneyWatch and US News & World Report. She's the author of The College Solution, an Amazon.com bestseller and... Continue Reading...




