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  • Plan ( K-12 )
      • The MyCAP Software
        • Unlocking College Affordability with MyCAP: A Personalized Approach to Financial Planning for Higher Education
        • College Aid Pro’s $1,000 No Essay Scholarship And Award Analyzer Update
        • Acceptance Letters VS Financial Aid Letters
        • How to Use MyCAP’s Award Analyzer – Is Your Financial Aid Offer Worth Appealing?
        • College Aid Pro Reviews
        • Unlocking College Affordability with MyCAP: A Personalized Approach to Financial Planning for Higher Education

          I think we can all agree on the importance of college for some students as a time of personal and intellectual growth that has the potential as a launching pad into a brilliant career or increased financial stability. And, we’ve all heard plenty about how unaffordable it has become for many families leading us to […]

      • High School Success
        • Understanding the PSAT: What High Schoolers Need to Know for Success
        • The Vital Role of the College Essay: A Key Component in the New Admissions Landscape
        • Extracurricular Activities – What Do Colleges Really Want to See?
        • Complete Breakdown of College Application Deadlines
        • How to Prepare for College: What my High Schooler Should be Doing this Summer
        • Keep Your Sanity While Planning For College – Our Top 5 Tips for Success

          This one’s for all you parents out there starting the college planning and application process with your high schoolers. Don’t you just love how colleges want your students to lead the college process because, after all, they’re “technically” adults. Never mind that their brains won’t be fully developed for another 7 years, and they regularly […]

      • Saving
        • Unlocking College Affordability with MyCAP: A Personalized Approach to Financial Planning for Higher Education
        • Smart Strategies for Using Your 529: From College Tuition to Roth IRA Contributions
        • Pre-paid Tuition Plans – Is it Smart to Buy In?
        • What is A Financial Safety School? Should You Have at Least One on Your College List?
        • Will Saving For College Hurt My Financial Aid?
        • Unlocking College Affordability with MyCAP: A Personalized Approach to Financial Planning for Higher Education

          I think we can all agree on the importance of college for some students as a time of personal and intellectual growth that has the potential as a launching pad into a brilliant career or increased financial stability. And, we’ve all heard plenty about how unaffordable it has become for many families leading us to […]

      • How does financial aid work? Am I eligible/EFC?
        • How Much Financial Aid Can You Get? Cracking the Code on College Costs
        • Do You Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? Your Comprehensive Guide
        • Financial Aid Guidance for Divorced or Separated Families
        • Will Saving For College Hurt My Financial Aid?
        • Create your College Budget – Understanding what YOU can Afford
        • “My College Budget” Makes Paying For College Easy For Your Student

          Everyone has heard “paying for college” horror stories. Families spend a full summer (sometimes longer) touring college campuses with their rising seniors. They fall in love with a handful of schools, apply, and celebrate when their student gets accepted. Then the inevitable happens – they receive their financial aid package and tuition estimate. The cost […]

      • ACT/SAT
        • The New Digital SAT- What You Need to Know
        • Can High SAT Scores Help Your College Admission Chances?
        • How to Get a Full-Ride Scholarship from Your ACT or SAT Score
        • Do You Still Need Strong Standardized Test Scores for College?
        • How to Get a Full-Ride Scholarship from Your ACT or SAT Score

          Wanting to get your student a free college education? Who doesn’t! The fact is, there are still colleges in the United States that offer full-ride merit-based scholarships to attract students with high ACT or SAT scores. Unfortunately, the number of schools offering these scholarships seems to be shrinking over the past several years, so it […]

      • Admissions and College Search
        • Beyond Race: What the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision Means for College Applicants
        • The Vital Role of the College Essay: A Key Component in the New Admissions Landscape
        • College Aid Pro’s FREE Summer College Bootcamp for Parents and High Schoolers
        • Public vs Private Colleges – Is There A Difference?
        • Complete Breakdown of College Application Deadlines
        • Beyond Race: What the Supreme Court’s Affirmative Action Decision Means for College Applicants

          The Supreme Court’s Decision on Affirmative Action and Its Impact on College Admissions For those who have been following the news regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on affirmative action, you may be wondering what this means for you and if there is anything you need to know or do differently regarding this significant shift in […]

  • Scholarships
      • Grants
        • Do You Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? Your Comprehensive Guide
        • What is A Financial Safety School? Should You Have at Least One on Your College List?
        • Acceptance Letters VS Financial Aid Letters
        • Free Money for College: Understanding Grants and Scholarships
        • 6 Tips to Ensure You Don’t Go Broke Paying for College
        • Free Money for College: Understanding Grants and Scholarships

            Free Money for College: Understanding Grants and Scholarships All schools offer free money, or “gift aid” to discount the cost of college with grants, scholarships, or a combination of both. This is money that DOES NOT have to be repaid. Grants are based on need.  This is endowment money a school gives out to […]

      • Merit Scholarships
        • What is A Financial Safety School? Should You Have at Least One on Your College List?
        • Acceptance Letters VS Financial Aid Letters
        • Weighted and Unweighted GPAs – Let’s Clarify Their Impact on Merit Money
        • CAP Report Card – Merit Scholarship Transparency Rankings
        • What Are Talent Merit Scholarships?
        • CAP Report Card – Merit Scholarship Transparency Rankings

           The Importance of Transparency College Aid Pro’s (CAP) Mission is to End the Student Debt Crisis by empowering families to shop smarter for college. This is an audacious and ambitious goal, yet one we believe is achievable. CAP is a strong and growing community of college planning experts, school counselors, administrators, concerned parents, and college […]

      • Full Ride / Full Tuition
        • Can My Kid Get a Full-Ride Scholarship?
        • A National Merit Scholarship Success Story
        • How to Find Full Ride Scholarships
        • How to Get a Full-Ride Scholarship from Your ACT or SAT Score
        • Can My Kid Get a Full-Ride Scholarship?

          I was listening to a financial call-in program the other day and the topic of how a mom was going to pay for her kid’s college came up.  She said, “I’m hoping she will get a scholarship.” That was it. She had no money saved, her daughter was in high school and she was counting […]

      • Private Scholarships
        • 5 Things Parents Need to Know About Private Scholarships
        • 5 Things Parents Need to Know About Private Scholarships

          This was originally written for and published by Saving For College, adapted and expanded for the College Aid Pro community. When families think about bridging the gap between what they have saved for college, the financial aid they’re offered, and the total cost of attendance, their minds usually go straight to private scholarships. After all, […]

      • Athletics
        • Getting a Division 1 Athletic Scholarship
        • Athletic Scholarships 101
        • The 3 Best Free Online Resources for Athletic Recruiting
        • Getting a Division 1 Athletic Scholarship

          Getting a Division 1 athletic scholarship is not an easy task. However, if your student has this goal, there are definitely tips that will increase his or her chances. A few years ago, my youngest daughter, as a high school junior, gave her verbal commitment to play volleyball at a Division 1 college. In some […]

      • National Merit/Nation Recognition
        • Understanding the PSAT: What High Schoolers Need to Know for Success
        • What are National Merit Scholarships?
        • Do National Merit Finalists Get Full-Ride Scholarships?
        • A National Merit Scholarship Success Story
        • What are National Merit Scholarships?

          Most families in the college application process have heard the term “National Merit Scholarship” float around in college counselor meetings and college orientations. However, there is not just one National Merit Scholarship. In fact, there are five different types of scholarships that people lump into the general term of the National Merit Scholarship. In this […]

  • FAFSA/CSS
      • FAFSA
        • When Is the FAFSA Due?
        • What is the FAFSA? The Essential Guide For Success
        • FAFSA Frustration: 10 Common Mistakes You Can Avoid
        • Preparing for the FAFSA Changes – Tips and Timelines to Ease Your Stress
        • Financial Aid Guidance for Divorced or Separated Families
        • When Is the FAFSA Due?

          When Is The FAFSA Due If you’re in the throes of college application season, then you’re probably aware that there are major changes coming for the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) this year. If not, you should definitely take a look at this blog post I wrote earlier in the year which outlines […]

      • CSS Profile
        • What is the CSS Profile? Mastering the CSS Profile for Maximum Aid
        • Financial Aid Guidance for Divorced or Separated Families
        • How Home Equity Affects The CSS Profile
        • 2023-2024 CSS Profile Dos, Don’ts, and Updates
        • What you Need to Know About Completing the CSS Profile or FAFSA with Divorced or Separated Parents or Two-Household Families
        • 2023-2024 CSS Profile Dos, Don’ts, and Updates

          The 2023-2024 CSS Profile is available on October 1, 2022. Before you dive headfirst into filling out this beast, let’s break it down with some basic information and tips to make your life easier. What is the CSS Profile? The College Scholarship Service financial aid application is required at over 200 colleges and universities that […]

      • Verification / IDOC
        • Video: How to Complete the IDOC Financial Aid Verification Process
        • Pros and Cons of FAFSA’s Data Retrieval Tool
        • IDOC and FAFSA Verification
        • FAFSA Verification – What It Is, How to Handle It, and Why Parents Shouldn’t Freak Out
        • IDOC and FAFSA Verification

          Getting all of your financial aid forms completed and submitted is a major milestone. A lot of families use that moment to breathe a sigh of relief and turn their thoughts onto other pressing matters, as well they should. However, pressing “submit” isn’t the end of the story. Read on to find out what happens […]

  • Appeal
      • Awards
        • College Aid Pro’s $1,000 No Essay Scholarship And Award Analyzer Update
        • How to Use MyCAP’s Award Analyzer – Is Your Financial Aid Offer Worth Appealing?
        • Financial Aid Appeals – Evaluate Your Options with our New Awards Analyzer
        • What Is Appealing? Can I Get More Money?
        • Understanding Financial Aid Award Letters And How To Compare Them
        • Financial Aid Appeals – Evaluate Your Options with our New Awards Analyzer

          “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Herbert Spencer We created the College Aid Pro platform first and foremost to help fill a massive knowledge gap that we saw in the general public’s understanding of the financial aid system and how to effectively plan for and pay for higher education. Providing […]

      • Appeal Process
        • College Aid Pro’s $1,000 No Essay Scholarship And Award Analyzer Update
        • How to Use MyCAP’s Award Analyzer – Is Your Financial Aid Offer Worth Appealing?
        • Confused by the Appeals Process? A Step By Step Guide for High School Seniors
        • Financial Aid Appeals – Evaluate Your Options with our New Awards Analyzer
        • What Is Appealing? Can I Get More Money?
        • Financial Aid Appeals – Evaluate Your Options with our New Awards Analyzer

          “The great aim of education is not knowledge but action.” – Herbert Spencer We created the College Aid Pro platform first and foremost to help fill a massive knowledge gap that we saw in the general public’s understanding of the financial aid system and how to effectively plan for and pay for higher education. Providing […]

  • Borrow
      • Student Loans
        • Do You Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? Your Comprehensive Guide
        • Student Loans – Discover the Smart Way to Borrow for College
        • Federal Direct Student Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes
        • What is A Financial Safety School? Should You Have at Least One on Your College List?
        • Acceptance Letters VS Financial Aid Letters
        • Federal Direct Student Loan Entrance Counseling and Master Promissory Notes

          How Do I Finalize My Federal Direct Student Loan? At College Aid Pro™, we believe it’s critical that all college-bound families know that they are entitled and guaranteed Federal Direct Student Loan funding to put toward the cost of college.  If borrowing is on your radar at all, we recommend pursuing Federal Direct Student Loans […]

      • Federal Loans
        • Do You Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? Your Comprehensive Guide
        • Beginner’s Guide to Federal Loan Options – What Works Best for You?
        • Student Loans – Discover the Smart Way to Borrow for College
        • Federal Student Loans – Are They a Good Choice for You?
        • Student Loan Forgiveness Update 12/1/2022
        • Beginner’s Guide to Federal Loan Options – What Works Best for You?

          Many college-bound families look to federal student loan options provided by the U.S. Department of Education to bridge the gap between what they have saved or what funds have been gifted (through scholarships or grants) for college and what their cost of attendance will be. There are three different student loan options through the federal […]

      • Private Loans
        • Do You Have to Pay Back College Financial Aid? Your Comprehensive Guide
        • Comparing Student Loan Programs: What option is best for you?
        • Student Loans – Discover the Smart Way to Borrow for College
        • Comparing Student Loan Programs: What option is best for you?

          Imagine it – your child applies and gets accepted to their dream school AND is offered a full ride scholarship! You pay nothing out of pocket, your son or daughter is set for college. You go back to sleeping through the night, throw away all loan program information, and no longer worry about how you […]

  • Free Resources
    • Plan ( K-12 )

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      FAFSA / CSS

      • FAFSA
      • CSS Profile
      • Verification / IDOC

      Appeal

      • Awards
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      Pay/Borrow

      • Student Loans
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      • Alternative Borrowing
      • Free Resources
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