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Top 26 Private Scholarship Opportunities for July 4th - 30th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List...

The College Pricing Playbook: How to Understand Tuition Discounts, Yield Strategies, and More As families across...

Wait, I Can Ask A College To Give Me More Money? At some point during the...

Merit scholarships can be one of the best ways to pay for college, especially if...

  The 2024-2025 CSS Profile is available now. Before you dive headfirst into filling out this...

Do I Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? A college education is expensive for most...

Top 40 Private Scholarship Opportunities for July 1st - 15th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List...

Paying the College Bill in 2025: A Guide to Smart Borrowing Navigating the costs of college...

What is A Pre-Paid Tuition Plan? A pre-paid tuition plan is an account to save to...

Top 29 Private Scholarship Opportunities for June 17th - 30th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List...

College Aid Pro's $1,000 MyCAP 2.0 No-Essay Parent Scholarship Giveaway Are you a parent worried about...

How to Release Your Co-Signer: The Steps You Need to Know If you've taken out a...

Student Loans in 2025: 4 Steps to Find the Best Option & Lowest Rate Your Step-By-Step...

New MyCAP 2.0 Pricing: MyCAP Premium for Just $4.99/Month Starting June 1st, MyCAP 2.0 Pricing is...

https://youtu.be/Eni29XqVAco What are Federal Student Loans? These are loans given out by the federal government.  It's the...

Will Asking for More Money Hurt Your Kid’s Admission? Nope. Here’s the Real Deal. Let’s talk...

Will We Qualify for Need-Based Financial Aid for College? A question on the minds of most...

College admissions can start to roll in in the month of December every year and...

Your Complete Pell Grant Guide: Are You Eligible? In today's world, the cost of college continues...

Embarking on the journey to higher education is an exciting chapter in a student's life....

Many college-bound families look to federal student loan options provided by the U.S. Department of...

FAFSA for Divorced Families: What You Need to Know If you’re part of a divorced or...

Understanding the Impact of Federal Financial Aid Disruptions on Divorced and Separated Parents For divorced or...

Top 50 Private Scholarship Opportunities for June 10th - 25th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List...

Understanding Interest Rates: How to Save Thousands on Your Student Loan Let’s face it—student loans can...

Our Journeys as Parents: How We Saved (or Plan to Save) for Our Kids’ Education—Plus...

Imagine it - your child applies and gets accepted to their dream school AND is...

Student Loans - Discover the Smart Way to Borrow for College The Current State of Student...

Top 30 Private Scholarship Opportunities for June 3rd - 17th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List...

Explore MyCAP 2.0’s College Search Engine: Find Your Best College Matches with One Click –...

Top 30 Private Scholarship Opportunities for May 28th - June 10th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship...

MyCAP 2.0 New College Details Page: Scholarships, Financial Aid, Costs & Affordability Explained MyCAP 2.0: A...

The New MyCAP 2.0 User Journey: Explore the Enhanced Layout and Streamlined College Planning Phases Let’s...

What’s New in College Planning: MyCAP 2.0, Last-Minute Appeals, Student Loan Rates & College Accountability...

Introducing MyCAP 2.0! Hello CAP Community! It was just about 3.5 years ago that we launched the...

How a Free Conversation Could Save You Thousands on College Let’s face it—college is expensive, and...

Top 54 Private Scholarship Opportunities for May 13th-31st, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List May 20-June...

🎙️ New College Affordability Changes: Endowment Tax Hikes, Pell Grant Rules & Cost of Attendance...

Cost of tuition is a major factor into many families’ final decision of where to...

You know that feeling when you're shopping for something big—like a car or a house—and...

Top 70 Private Scholarship Opportunities for May 13th-31st, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List May 13th-31st,...

How to Protect Against Market Volatility and Rising Tuition: Private College 529 Plan Does Both This article...

Student Loan Defaults, Post-Decision Day Aid Boosts & College Cost Strategies Every Parent Needs to...

Top 52 Private Scholarship Opportunities for May 6th-20th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List May 6th-20th,...

College Aid Pro Partners with The Princeton Review to Offer Comprehensive College Planning Services At College...

College! Podcast Episode 12: Student Loan Shakeup: What Borrowers & Families Need to Know About...

Top 36 Private Scholarship Opportunities for April 30th - May 13th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship...

About to Borrow for College? Here’s What You Need to Know First TL;DR: You can’t compare college...

Maximize Scholarships, Minimize Stress: MyCAP Premium Makes It Easy Introduction: College Planning Doesn’t Have to Be...

🚨 Student Loan Collections Are Back! Here’s What You Need to Know After five years of...

Top 55 Private Scholarship Opportunities for April 22nd - May 6th, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship...

College Aid Pro Featured on FOX: Matt Carpenter Shares Expert Insight on Rising College Costs In...

Higher Education Reform, Student Debt, and the Plan to Fix It All: Read the Position...

College Planning From the Mom Side: Real Talk on Costs, Choices & Second Chances When it...

Matt Carpenter Talks Repayment Plans Update and Urges Families to Borrow Smart on CBS News...

Matt Carpenter Provides Insight on Recent Federal Loan Changes on ABC News in Cleveland Navigating Federal...

Top 48 Private Scholarship Opportunities for April 15-28, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List April 15-28,...

Rethinking College: Student Loan Reform, Smarter Planning Strategies & Accountability in Higher Education Let’s face it—the...

What is the PSAT? The PSAT/NMSQT test is offered by high schools around the country in...

Hi, I’m Matt Carpenter, co-founder of College Aid Pro. After working with thousands of families,...

College! Podcast Episode 10: Get to Know Our CEO & Our Plan to Fix the...

Top 52 Private Scholarship Opportunities for April 8-22, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List April 8-22,...

The Ultimate Guide to College Planning in High School (for Students and Parents/Guardians) This article was...

College! Podcast Episode 10: Get to Know Our CEO & Our Plan to Fix the...

College Aid Pro's Ongoing AMA: A New Thread on College Confidential's "Paying for College" Section At...

Top 80 Private Scholarship Opportunities for April 1-15, 2025  CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List April 1-15,...

College! Podcast Episode 9: What Families Need to Know About FAFSA Chaos, Loan Forgiveness &...

Top 5 College Planning Tips for Homeschool Families Because you already do the hard stuff—this part...

Department of Education, FAFSA, & Financial Aid Updates Explained by Expert Matt Carpenter on KCBS...

Media Spotlight: Matt Carpenter Offers Crucial Guidance Amid Department of Education Changes on Fox News...

Top 75 Private Scholarship Opportunities for March 25 - April 7, 2025 CAP's Weekly Private Scholarship...

College! Podcast Episode 8: College Costs, Harvard’s Tuition Shift, and What Could Go Right? Higher education...

College Aid Pro's College Planning Expert & Founder Matt Carpenter Featured on CBS Arizona  We’re thrilled...

How to Successfully Appeal Your Financial Aid Award: A Step-by-Step Guide to Getting More Funding Navigating...

5 Game-Changing Lessons I Wish I Knew Before College Visits: How to Choose the Right...

Top 32 Private Scholarship Opportunities for March 16-24, 2025 CAP's Weekly Private Scholarship List Welcome to College...

College! Podcast Episode 7: The Future of College Costs: Financial Aid, Loans & What Families...

Invest in Your Future: Win a $1,000 No-Essay Scholarship with College Aid Pro & College...

Top 80 Private Scholarship Opportunities for March 10-15, 2025   CAP's Weekly Private Scholarship List Welcome to College...

The Common App Essay Prompts Are Set—A Proven Plan to Make This Easier for Your...

The Future of College Funding: Student Loans, Policy Shifts & What ParentsMust Know The landscape of...

Impact of Department of Education Shutdown on College Athletics: Scholarships and Recruitment A potential shutdown of...

How Federal Funding Cuts on Research Scholarships and State-Based Financial Aid for May Impact College-Bound...

Top 90 Private Scholarship Opportunities for March 1-9, 2025 CAP's Weekly Private Scholarship List Welcome to College...

Free Monthly College Planning Webinar Series At College Aid Pro, we know that the college planning...

College! Podcast Episode 5: DOE Policy Changes Impact On Financial Aid & Student Loans The world...

Navigating the Changing Landscape of College Admissions and Financial Aid: What You Need to Know   The...

Unlock the Power of Premium Member Benefits: MyCAP Office Hours and Member Workshops for Stress-Free...

Top 50 Private Scholarship Opportunities for February 24-29, 2025.    CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List February...

Potential Taxation of Scholarships: How This Proposal Could Affect College-Bound Families Scholarships have always been a...

How a Department of Education Shutdown Could Disrupt College Admissions, Financial Aid, and Campus Services. As...

Key Considerations and Impacts of the U.S. Department of Education’s Stance on Race-Based Discrimination in...

How Federal Funding Cuts and Tuition Increases Could Impact College-Bound Families  A Closer Look at Federal...

Matt's Story | Navigating the Complexities of College Financial Aid and the School Selection The Other...

Navigating the Emotional Side of College Planning The journey to college is more than just academic...

Deferred or Waitlisted? What It Means & What to Do Next Your parents, friends, and teachers...

CAP’s Weekly Private Scholarship List: February 14-23, 2025 Discover Essential Scholarship Opportunities and Deadlines Due This...

Department of Education Federal Funding Freeze: Latest Updates & Implications The Future of Federal Student Aid:...

What We Know, What We Predict, and How You Can Stay in Control   Families across the...

Sticker Price vs Net Price: Making Sense of College Costs Are you a parent of a...

The First Step in Your College Search:Creating Your College Budget   Hey Friend, Let’s Talk About College...

Perfect Gift Ideas for Every College Kid on Your List Tis’ the season for last minute...

When Your Student Aid Index (SAI) is Too High Are you left scrambling after filling out...

FAFSA Tips for Parents: A Guide to Getting it Right If you're anything like me, the...

Preparing for the Holidays: What Every College Freshman Should Know Before Heading Home Hi there! For...

As college costs rise, understanding the potential payoff (or “return on investment”) of different degrees...

Understanding college costs can be overwhelming for families, especially when the numbers provided by schools...

Understanding the Post-9/11 GI Bill Benefits for Veterans & Their Families At College Aid Pro, we’re...

IDOC and FAFSA Verification Getting all of your financial aid forms completed and submitted is a...

Finding Your College "Unicorn": Questions to Guide Your Search Choosing the right college is one of...

College Application Fee Waivers: How to Save on the Cost of Applying to College The college...

Master Behavioral Finance: How Parents Can Build a Strong Portfolio After College I’m definitely an impulse...

A Letter to the Parent That Just Got That Phone Call Dear Parents of College Freshman, Hi!...

Understanding Net Price Calculators & Finding A Better Option Navigating the college application process can feel...

Why Everyone Needs Financial Planning: Breaking Down Common Misconceptions At AssetAlign, we start every consultation with...

Could College Prep Be A New Olympic Sport? I love the Olympics!  I’ve spent as much...

Hello. My name is Kevin and I’m a recovering Analysis Paralysis (AP) sufferer. For as long...

Our goal at College Aid Pro is to help students and families find colleges that...

 As a former freshman in college, I can attest to the fact that move-in day...

Summer Tips for Parents of Rising Juniors Hello, fellow parents! As a mom of a rising...

5 Budgeting Tips for College Kids Hi there! My name is Claire, and I’m currently a...

4 Steps To Choosing The Right Student Loan In 2024 At College Aid Pro (CAP), our...

Your Personal Brand Matters Attention high school students and parents!  I want you to understand that your...

Are you frustrated or even outraged that college is so expensive? I can assure you......

Understanding Scholarship Displacement: A Hard-Learned Lesson from Our Family’s College Journey Navigating the financial aspects of...

Parents of high school seniors - Do you want to enjoy this summer before college? Here...

College Success Bootcamp - Learn How to Tackle College Planning In 3 FREE Sessions! Is College...

When My Oldest Started Applying, I Was Lost in College Lingo If I had a dollar...

FAFSA Week Of Action - April 15 - 19 2024 At College Aid Pro, we are...

A Letter from Our CEO Regarding the FAFSA Fiasco A nurse friend of mine gave me...

10 Tips for Successful College Visits As a family embarking on the college search journey, campus...

Navigating College Admissions: The Strategic Power of Demonstrated Interest As parents, we embark on the college...

Understanding Financial Aid Terms Before You Dive In To College Planning Let's face it - the...

Finding Private Scholarships for College Paying for college is a big challenge, especially with tuition and...

How to Leverage the FAFSA Delays Applying for student financial aid can be both overwhelming and...

FAFSA 2024: 4 Recurring Frustrations and How to Fix Them The FAFSA application process is a...

Decoding College Financial Aid Letters Congratulations! You've been accepted into college, and now it's time to...

The college admissions process is overwhelming. Once you tackle applications and submissions, you begin the...

College Acceptance Letters: A Complete Guide Congratulations! All your college applications are in. Now comes the...

Find Your College Match Searching for the right college match with your high schooler can be...

College admissions - it's a nuanced beast if you are a high school student or...

The journey to college can be both exciting and overwhelming, and understanding the timelines for...

Net Price Calculator's vs. MyCAP SAI Estimates You’ve heard the expression “less is more?” Well, sometimes...

When Is The FAFSA Due If you’re in the throes of college application season, then you’re...

As a parent, you want the best for your child's future, and higher education is...

If you're a parent with a child heading off to college or one already there,...

When it comes to financing your education, there's more to consider than just tuition fees....

  Are you feeling the pressure of impending college costs? You’re definitely not alone. The road...

The Supreme Court's Decision on Affirmative Action and Its Impact on College Admissions For those who...

If you're a high school student, you've probably heard of the PSAT. But what is...

I think we can all agree on the importance of college for some students as...

The Vital Role of the College Essay: A Key Component in the New Admissions Landscape It's...

Congratulations on having saved for college. The addition of 529 savings to your plan gives your...

Many college-bound students who are gearing up to go to apply to competitive schools lean...

Click Here to Register Do you have a high schooler, particularly one who is possibly interested...

  The U.S has over 4000 colleges and universities. If you've started researching colleges in order...

Understanding the different types of college application deadlines If your student is just beginning their college...

What Colleges Require the CSS Profile for Financial Aid? When it comes to applying for financial...

Summer is in full swing and rising high school seniors are, no, let me rephrase,...

So, you’ve been talking to your kid about the future and it’s become pretty clear...

Ah summer. The sun is shining, you’re spending more time out and about, getting in...

How Do I Finalize My Federal Direct Student Loan? At College Aid Pro™, we believe...

Do you have a love-hate relationship with the SAT like many college bound students and...

Recently, I had the pleasure of speaking with Kristi Steele of KC360, who specializes in...

We wanted to share a quick update with our families on our $1,000 No Essay...

So your student has been accepted to college - Congrats! Celebrate their accomplishments and then...

A “financial safety” school is a college that you know your family can afford. It...

Every parent wants their high schooler to have a smooth transition to college. They want...

What's the Difference Between an Acceptance Letter and a Financial Aid Letter? https://youtu.be/wAZJZKREB4w Acceptance Letters An acceptance letter...

Students are increasingly being given the opportunity to take advantage of advanced courses in high...

Merit Scholarships: How do Colleges look at Weighted and Unweighted GPAs? Merit scholarships are a great...

https://youtu.be/xp4mSKmRo1s Hey Seniors! Congrats on making it to the last semester of high school!  You're almost...

Many high school juniors, preparing to determine their senior year class schedule, are asking:  “What classes...

https://youtu.be/9BqeeULhB4Q   What Constitutes a "Divorced or Separated Family" for College Financial Aid? Colleges don't see a difference...

College Aid Pro Reviews Wondering what others think about our services? Check out our Google Reviews...

https://youtu.be/uPtAdmQ7XZg Is Saving for College a Bad Idea? NO!  Saving for college is a good idea- and...

Congratulations Class of 2024 - you’re on the home stretch! High school graduation is right...

https://youtu.be/rpxjE84I1kQ CAP's new Financial Aid Award Analyzer in the Evaluate & Appeal module allows you to...

This one’s for all you parents out there starting the college planning and application process...

“The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Herbert Spencer We created the...

https://youtu.be/m8zZndLlGHw Appealing- Can you really go back and ask a college to give you more money...

Senioritis. Parents across the country have heard of it. High school teachers dread it. It's a...

At College Aid Pro, we pride ourselves on creating sound data sets that power easy-to-use...

In the US, we take for granted the quality of many of our higher education...

https://youtu.be/9bSwtaktfDA We know no one likes to talk about budgets, but shopping for college requires understanding...

  Click Here to Register Do you have a high schooler, particularly one who is in the...

If you have an upperclassmen high school student who will be working on college applications...

  Free Money for College: Understanding Grants and Scholarships All schools offer free money, or "gift aid"...

As a former high schooler and the mom to two current high schoolers, I’ve heard...

What happens when you receive a scholarship award – but it’s still not enough to...

Demonstrated Interest and How It Affects College Admissions In this video, we'll explore how demonstrated interest...

Everyone has heard "paying for college" horror stories. Families spend a full summer (sometimes longer)...

In this video, we're going to take a look at what is an EFC and...

Are you unsure if appealing for more financial aid affects your admissions decision? Watch this...

What is a 529 Plan? In this video, we'll explain what a 529 is and how...

What is the FAFSA Data Retrieval Tool?   In this video, we'll discuss what to know about...

For those waiting on federal student loan forgiveness, there have been some bumps in the...

With the FAFSA Simplification Act comes a host of changes to the way federal student...

The CSS Profile and the FAFSA have very different requirements and how they calculate your...

 The Importance of Transparency College Aid Pro’s (CAP) Mission is to End the Student Debt Crisis...

The FAFSA leverages a tool called the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (IRS DRT) to make...

College Applications and Financial Aid for Transgender Students A Transgender Student’s Guide to Shopping, Applying And...

Our core belief at CAP is that students and families can make smart, fiscally sound...

The Federal Student Aid office recently announced FAFSA changes that will go into effect for...

MyCAP Data Update! Admissions, Scholarships, and Financial Aid “Have you started looking at colleges yet?” I...

6 Tips to Ensure You Don't Go Broke Paying for College Flip or scroll through the...

Financial Aid for Divorced or Separated Parents: FAFSA & CSS Profile Guide Financial aid forms can...

For most families, a student loan must be part of the college-funding conversation. Through careful...

Was your expected family contribution (EFC) too high and now you’re left with a too-little...

How To Navigate Financial Aid Appeals With Your College-Bound Student Negotiation is an art.  Lawyers negotiate contracts,...

As we get close to May 1, National College Decision Day, deciding where to go...

When applying for financial aid, you are submitting a Free Application for Federal Student Aid...

High SAT scores can be very advantageous in your student’s college search process. They can...

  President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday, August 24, 2022, that a student loan forgiveness plan...

Parental Information for Financial Aid: Clarifying Relationships in Financial Aid Reporting When dependent students apply for...

Do you find this article helpful? Imagine what you could learn from Matt, along with...

When you think about financial aid, “quirky” might not be the first word that comes...

 Today we’re talking about applying for financial aid. Not the most exciting topic, but we...

Getting a Division 1 athletic scholarship is not an easy task. However, if your student...

Athletic scholarships for college are often misunderstood and assumed to be more available than they...

Most families in the college application process have heard the term "National Merit Scholarship" float...

Do National Merit finalists get full-ride scholarships? In some cases, yes! Previously, we wrote about what ACT...

I was listening to a financial call-in program the other day and the topic of...

Does your student have a special skill they have developed for years? Have they practiced...

What Are Competitive Merit Scholarships? When most people think about merit scholarships, they think of a...

A National Merit Scholarship Success Story I always love when parents share a merit scholarship success...

Full-Ride Scholarships Pay the Full Price of Attending a College.  This usually includes tuition, fees, and...

With the cost of college continuously on the rise, many college-bound students and their parents...

This was originally written for and published by Saving For College, adapted and expanded for...

The Pros and Cons of Being Waitlisted From a College Funding Perspective Every year, countless students...

Pros and Cons Of Test-Optional College Admissions For years, students and parents have railed against the...

All About the Money: 3 Important Financial Questions You Should be Asking When Picking a...

Browse 529 plans by state What is a 529 Plan and How Does It Work? A 529...

What Expenses Can Be Paid from a 529 Plan? Up to this point, parents have SAVED...

Grandparents want to help. They see the expense ahead for their kids to pay for...

What's a 529 Plan? 5 Easy Ways to Start Saving For College It’s no secret that...

The best resources for athletic recruiting vary from athletic recruiting service websites to school sites...

Getting a Full-Ride Scholarship from Your ACT or SAT Score Wanting to get your student a...

Types of Need-Based Financial Aid When you receive a need-based financial aid package from a college,...

Thank you for joining us for this brief video with our very own Fairy Godmother...

Prior-Prior Year (PPY) : What It Is and Why It Matters to College Financial Aid It...

Have you heard the term Expected Family Contribution on TV or social media and wondered...

If you’re the parent of a rising high school junior or senior, this blog is...

Do College Savings Reduce Financial Aid? Parents regularly express frustration to me, for having been penalized...

The fall 2023 enrollment season is here! This time brings a flurry of excitement, nerves,...

Understanding Financial Aid First thing's first – don’t feel ashamed if you’re more than a little...

Standardized Test Scores in College Admissions: Do You Still Need Strong Test Scores? How much do...