Marlon and his dog, George. Courtesy: Since 1988, Marlon Fox has been paying down his federal student debt. He didn’t see an end in sight. Then, on Aug. 25, 2023, an email popped up in his inbox with the subject line: “Your student loans have been forgiven!” His $119,500 balance was reset to zero. “I … Read more
PeopleImages | E+ | Getty Images Above all else, the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid was designed to improve college access. However, problems with the rollout have left many students and their families frustrated with fewer students applying overall. As of the last tally, nearly 4 million students have submitted the 2024-25 FAFSA form so … Read more
US President Joe Biden arrives to board Air Force One at Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, on August 15, 2023. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds | AFP | Getty Images It’s never been a better time to get rid of your student debt. Although President Joe Biden’s plans to cancel up to $400 billion in student debt for … Read more
The U.S. Department of Education announced Monday it is introducing a “FAFSA College Support Strategy” with additional personnel, funding, resources and technology to help colleges process the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid forms after the rollout was repeatedly complicated by a number of setbacks. “We are determined to get this right,” U.S. Secretary of Education Miguel … Read more
The Federal Reserve is expected to announce it will leave rates unchanged at the end of its two-day meeting this week, after recent reports showed the economy grew at a much more rapid pace than expected and inflation eased. “In many ways, we already have a soft landing,” said Columbia Business School economics professor Brett House. … Read more
The U.S. Department of Education says it plans to update a key part of the new Free Application for Federal Student Aid formula, which will result in $1.8 billion more aid for college-bound students this year. The announcement comes weeks after the simplified FAFSA soft-launched on Dec. 30 after a monthslong delay. Since then, the 2024–25 form has … Read more
For the first time in over a decade, more students are choosing to go to college. Undergraduate enrollment rose 1.2% in the fall of 2023 compared with one year earlier — a gain of roughly 176,000 students, according to the National Student Clearinghouse’s latest research. “The number of students in college has finally turned the … Read more
A simplified Free Application for Federal Student Aid is finally online after a significant delay. However, as part of a “soft launch,” the new FAFSA form has only been periodically available. It’s likely few, if any, of the millions of students applying to college for the 2024-25 academic year have been able to successfully submit an application, … Read more
Miodrag Ignjatovic | E+ | Getty Images Borrowers don’t need to apply Borrowers do not need to enroll in the on-ramp period, the U.S. Department of Education says. If your loans were eligible for the pandemic-era payment pause, which mainly include those in the Direct program, then borrowers will also qualify for this relief. Loans … Read more
The Federal Reserve announced it will leave interest rates unchanged Wednesday, in a move that many believe will conclude the central bank’s rate hike cycle and set the stage for rate cuts in the year ahead. The Fed has raised interest rates 11 times since March 2022 — the fastest pace of tightening since the early 1980s. The … Read more
