COLLEGE SAVINGS 101
Cost of college
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9 college savings tips to start the year off rightThe New Year is the perfect time to review your 529 college savings plan strategy. Learn about how these nine tips can help achieve your goals in 2017. | saving for college | | new year | | new year resolution | | 529 plan | | enroll now | | cost of college | | 529 plan performance | | college savings planner | |
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Tuition prices of top football colleges: AP Top 25 PollSince a football scholarship might not be in everyone’s future, we’ve listed the tuition prices of the schools that made up the AP Top 25 Poll in week eight. | college | | college tuition | | paying for college | | college football | | cost of college | |
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37 best college memories from the '90'sYour child deserves the chance to make his own list of college memories one day. | memories | | Cost of college | |
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10 things to know before you take an online courseBefore enrolling in an online course, get the facts. Here are the top ten things you should know about e-learning. | online course | | cost of college | | e-learning | | college | | college degree | |
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The 10 states with the fastest rising college tuitionTuition prices have been rising across the country, but some states have experienced sharper increases than others. If you're planning to send your child to one of the following ten states, you might want to consider increasing your 529 plan contributions. | 529 plan | | cost of college | | tuition | | paying for college | | state appropriations | | higher education | | highest tuition | | upromise | |
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9 ways America's college savings habits have changedSallie Mae's 2015 'How America Pays For College' report is fairly consistent with 2014's findings in how American families prepare for the costs of higher education. Here are 9 changes in some saving attitudes and behaviors that we thought we worth noting. | college savings | | Sallie Mae | | 529 plan | | parents | | college | | paying for college | | cost of college | |
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Mint.com expert interview on paying for collegeWe recently had the opportunity to share our advice on funding higher education with Mint.com in their Expert Interview series. In honor of Financial Literacy Month, read though this interview to learn some great tips on the best ways to pay for college. | paying for college | | funding college | | higher education | | cost of college | | saving for college | | Mint | | interview | | student loans | |
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10 things you can learn about saving for college from Game of ThronesWhat can Jon Snow, Sansa Stark and Tyrion Lannister teach you about planning for college? Find out in this fun Game of Thrones slideshow. | Game of Thones | | saving for college | | paying for college | | student loans | | estate taxes | | 529 plans | | cost of college | | college savings calculators | |
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How to save for college in the Sweet Sixteen statesIt’s March Madness time! In honors of tonight’s first round of games between the Sweet 16 bracket, we’ve put together a slideshow highlighting the teams by state, and the 529 college savings plans offered by each state. | saving for college | | march madness | | sweet sixteen | | paying for college | | cost of college | | tuition | | scholarship | | basketball | |
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Will the Student Aid Bill of Rights help your family?Last week President Obama signed a presidential memorandum outlining a plan intended to help dissolve the student debt crisis. The Student Aid Bill of Rights focuses on four key issues related to helping students pay for college and helping graduates manage and repay their student loans. | financial aid | | student loans | | student debt | | paying for college | | cost of college | | saving for college | |
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5 secrets to winning a college scholarshipThe assumption that one has to be a perfect 4.0 student to win college scholarships has stopped a lot of talented students from even applying. Here are five secrets to winning a college scholarship that award recipients swear by. | scholarships | | paying for college | | cost of college | | winning a scholarship | | gpa | |
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Understanding your student loans and how to repay themWith so many loan repayment options out there it’s important for borrowers to explore all of their repayment options and make sure they find the plan that best fits their needs and their budget. NerdScholar's Alexandra Rice shares some tips. | student loans | | financial aid | | student loan repayment | | paying for college | | cost of college | |
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Automatic scholarships: New way to impact college planningLooking for scholarships to help pay for college? Learn how the Raise.me platform helps students earn automatic "micro-scholarships" towards participating colleges for every milestone they achieve throughout high school. | scholarships | | paying for college | | micro scholarships | | cost of college | | leadership | |
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5 ways to avoid student loansIf you want your teenager to go to college without taking student loans, it’s important that you make a plan right now to prepare for that. Rachel Cruze explains a few ideas for how to get started. | student loans | | cost of college | | paying for college | | guest blog | |
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What would you do with free community college?In case you haven't heard, President Obama recently announced a plan that would allow some students to attend two years of community college for free. Here are five ways families could take advantage of the potential savings of this plan, should it come to fruition. | paying for college | | cost of college | | community college | | Barack Obama | | free college | |
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529 plans and the FAFSABefore you fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), it's a good idea to understand how your current savings, including those in 529 plans, are analyzed in calculating your financial aid eligibility. | 529 plan | | saving for college | | financial aid | | paying for college | | FAFSA | | financial aid eligibility | | cost of college | |
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Despite rising tuition prices, more students are just saying "No" to loansLast week, the College Board released its annual "Trends in College Pricing" report, which revealed some much needed positive news regarding student borrowing. | student loans | | cost of college | | paying for college | | 529 plan | | financial aid | |
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You're saying my financial advisor can help me plan for college?Most parents and grandparent already know that they can open a 529 plan through an advisor, but what they may not realize is that advisors are also helping to make college attainable in other ways. | 529 plan | | saving for college | | financial professional | | financial advisor | | cost of college | | paying for college | | | |
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Five reasons competency-based education might be for youCompetency-based education is a new trend in online higher education that caters to those who may have financial or time restraints that prevent a traditional college experience. Here are five reasons why this non-traditional type of college program might be for you. | 529 plan | | paying for college | | eligible institution | | nontraditional learning | | online education | | cost of college | |
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[INFOGRAPHIC] College Savings TimelineOur newest "College Savings Timeline" Infographic focuses on what you can do during various stages of life to ensure an easy transition to college that won’t leave your child or grandchild burdened with excessive debt. | infographic | | college | | saving for college | | paying for college | | scholarships | | financial aid | | 529 plan | | cost of college | |
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For many college hopefuls, grandparents coming to the rescueParents strategizing to cover the cost of college may not have to look very far for an additional helping hand. One group of advocates is stepping up to help save for college and providing significant support: grandparents. | grandparents | | saving for college | | paying for college | | cost of college | |
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Six calculators to help you save for collegeWe are constantly striving to come up with new and improved tools that will help you answer some of your toughest college savings questions. See how these six calculators can assist you with your budgeting and planning decisions: | college savings | | 529 plan | | calculators | | student loans | | cost of college | | saving for college | | tax benefits | | scholarships | |
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Benefits of 529 plans - How to Save for College HQ PODCASTIn this "How to Save for College HQ" Podcast, Celest Horton and Kathryn Flynn discuss the benefits of 529 plans and the importance of starting to save as soon as possible. | 529 plan | | saving for college | | cost of college | | tax benefits | | | |
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Scoring an athletic scholarshipThis year's World Cup has given us sports fever! In today's blog post, we discuss the realistic probability of achieving a sports scholarship, and why opening a 529 college savings account is an excellent back-up plan. | paying for college | | saving for college | | scholarships | | sports | | world cup | | cost of college | |
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Don't be fooled by 529 plan sticker shockMany critics of 529 plans who are hesitant to invest because they feel that the fees associated with these types of plans will eat away at their earnings. However, these claims leave out one of the most lucrative advantages of a 529 plan - the tax benefits. | 529 plan | | cost of college | | saving for college | | 529 plan performance | | tax benefits | |
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Student loan rate hikes give more reason to saveBeginning July 1, we will see a 0.8% increase in interest rates on all federal student loans. If you were planning on taking out loans to pay for college, you may want to rethink your strategy. | college | | paying for college | | saving for college | | student loans | | interest rates | | interest rate increase | | 529 plan | | 529 plans | | college savings day | | 529 day | | cost of college | |
Financial Professionals
Top 529 College Savings Plans
One-year rankings are based on a plan's average investment returns over the last 12 months.
State | Plan Name | |
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1 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |
2 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
3 | Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan |
Three-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last three years.
State | Plan Name | |
---|---|---|
1 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |
2 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
3 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
Five-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last five years
State | Plan Name | |
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1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
2 | West Virginia | SMART529 WV Direct College Savings Plan |
3 | Delaware | Delaware College Investment Plan |
10-year rankings are based on a plan's average annual investment returns over the last ten years.
State | Plan Name | |
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1 | Ohio | Ohio's 529 Plan, CollegeAdvantage |
2 | New York | New York's 529 College Savings Program -- Direct Plan |
3 | Indiana | CollegeChoice 529 Direct Savings Plan |