Estrela Consulting Blog

It’s no secret that during these uncertain economic times, colleges are having a more challenging time than ever maintaining balanced operating budgets.  And while the question of whether or not families should apply for need-based financial aid comes up every year, the idea that there may be an “admissions edge” when not applying for financial aid seems to be more relevant than ever.  So, who ...

UPDATED: October 1,2020 During this time of uncertainty families are being inundated with daily updates from colleges, testing organizations and many other entities. We, too, are working hard to stay up-to-date on what feels like a non-stop flow of emails and social media messages informing us about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting - and will impact - the college planning process for the ...

Ah...February. The month of Hallmark’s favorite holiday. Also the month during which colleges will start to send out financial aid information. Quick caveat: this will only be for the schools to which your student has already been accepted. Colleges with April 1 notification dates will package the financial aid with the acceptance information.

With the average cost of tuition and fees currently averaging $10,116 and $36,801 for in-state public and private colleges respectively, it’s no wonder that families are looking for alternatives to help fund their student’s education.  And while the largest sources of free money for college come from the federal and state governments and the universities themselves, private scholarships do ...

While students are knee-deep in the exciting college application process, it’s important not to forget about the other piece to the puzzle - financial aid! The two main forms for financial aid open October 1st, and we’ve got everything you need to know in order to successfully begin the process.