VA assesses the Aid and Attendance maximum benefit amounts annually and may adjust them. Historically, increases in maximum monthly benefits correlate to the Social Security Administration’s cost-of-living adjustment (COLA). The maximum monthly benefit for 2025 is $2,795; however, the actual mont...
Gaps between the cost of attendance and the amount of financial aid a college is able to offer existed before this economic downturn, as only a few colleges promise to cover 100% of a student's financial need. But this year has brought a new intensity to the problem, says Daniel Blednick...
The EFC caused confusion for years, experts say, because many families believed the calculation was the amount they were required to pay for college. However, that wasn't true. Colleges determine financial need by subtracting the student's EFC, now the SAI, from...
For example, if your cost of attendance is $30,000 and your SAI is -$1,500, your estimated financial need would be $31,500. » LEARN: How to read a financial aid award letter Colleges aren’t required to meet 100% of your financial need, though some do. In addit...
Even in ordinary years, how students choose a college largely hinges on the amount of financial aid offered and the breakdown among grants, scholarships, work-study opportunities and student loans. However, in 2024, a botched FAFSA rollout heightened the critical role of aid in college choices. ...
where COA is the total cost of attendance, and EFA is estimated financial assistance from other sources, like scholarships. The SAI can go as low as -1500, but negative numbers don’t increase federal student aid or allow financial aid to exceed the school’s cost of attendance (COA). Ins...
This guide will help you understand the FAFSA, everything you need to know to apply, and what to expect when you're done.
COA: Cost of Attendance, or “sticker price,” is the amount a student might be expected to pay to attend a particular college, before financial aid. Net Cost: This is the amount most students pay after financial aid and other grants and scholarships. Student Aid Index (SAI) The Student ...
Federal financial aid may not cover your entire cost of attendance, so it's not uncommon for students to turn to other resources when financing their higher education. Even before getting results back from the FAFSA, you should actively apply to as many scholarships as you can. Many of these...
This year, the Development Bank of Southern Africa (DBSA) hosted the forum, with support from the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) and, of course, AFD. Attendance doubled compared to last year, with representatives from 115 countries, 200 public and private banks,...