College Admissions with Calm, Clarity & Confidence

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Graduation cap on a pile of $100 bills. FAFSA 2025-26 Now Open

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The Department of Education announced on November 14, 2024 that the FAFSA 2025-26 is available to all students through the Beta test version. This means any students can apply for federal financial aid for the 2025-26 college academic year through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Students and their “contributors” (aka parents submitting […]

FAFSA 2025-26 Available to All Students

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If you have a high school student, maybe you’ve noticed articles about FAFSA. Maybe you’re worried about completing it so you can get a financial aid offer. Maybe you are just wondering, “What is FAFSA?” This guide explains what FAFSA is, why it matters, and where to get help completing it. As of January 2024, […]

Guide to FAFSA

College Affordability
Admissions Decrypted Guide to FAFSA

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Usually the first question families have after their kid learns they were admitted to a college is: How much will this cost? Unfortunately, there is no uniform format for delivering financial aid offers. And some colleges have confusing ways of labeling grants, scholarships, and loans. So understanding college financial aid offers takes time and attention […]

College Financial Aid Offers

College Affordability
Bursar Services sign in college admin building.

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These are some of the best college admissions books I’ve read. They will help parents understand the modern college admissions landscape, from how colleges pick students to how to pay for college.  We often focus on sensational articles about a handful of colleges. This can lead to a lot of doom-casting and despair. In fact, […]

Cup of coffee next to a stack of books. Text reads Books on College Admissions above the Admissions Decrypted logo.