Paying for College

The Education Department said it would put the borrowers in forbearance while it recalculated their payments to comply with recent court rulings.

El plan basado en los ingresos conocido como SAVE tiene más de ocho millones de beneficiarios inscritos. El Departamento de Educación está evaluando los fallos judiciales.

More than eight million borrowers are enrolled in the income-driven plan known as SAVE. The Education Department is assessing the rulings.

Higher rates benefit those who can save, but for borrowers falling rates would reduce bills on credit cards, home equity loans and other forms of debt.

The Education Department has not finished recalculating payments for millions of borrowers enrolled in SAVE, forcing loan servicers to put many loans into forbearance.

How to make a plan for tackling your debt, improving your credit score and feel like the money you owe isn’t controlling you.

Advice, explainers and exercises on taking advantage of job benefits, creating a budget, paying off debt and thinking about your future.

The Education Department has temporarily stopped processing applications and other forms as it updates its systems and deals with problems plaguing the program.

Higher rates benefit those who can save, but for borrowers falling rates would reduce bills on credit cards, home equity loans and other forms of debt.

Experts say high school seniors are more likely to go to college if they complete the financial aid form, but the state sees privacy issues with mandating it.

The income-driven plan known as SAVE has reduced payments for millions of borrowers. Lawsuits by Republican-led states are seeking to upend it.

The share of those paying the full advertised cost has declined over the last couple of decades, a new report found. Yet many don’t understand how much they’ll really pay.

Para quienes quieren ingresar en determinadas órdenes religiosas, saldar deudas antes de hacer voto de pobreza puede resultar difícil. Pero sus comunidades están dispuestas a ayudar.

Some Vanderbilt students will have $100,000 in total expenses for the 2024-25 school year. The school doesn’t really want to talk about it.

For young adults who want to join certain religious orders, paying off debt before taking a vow of poverty can prove challenging. But their communities are willing to help.

The incremental relief brings the canceled total to $143.6 billion for nearly four million Americans.

Taxes. Tuition. Cryptocurrency trading. Since 2008, Ron Lieber has answered hard-hitting questions about personal finance as the Your Money columnist.

More schools and colleges are discovering the benefits of incorporating personal finance into their curriculums.

The analysis found that former students at most colleges had an annual income higher than high school graduates a decade after enrollment.

Even amid the botched rollout of the new financial aid form, a rule change will let some grandparents help pay for college without compromising aid eligibility.

But there are caveats to moving the money into Roth I.R.A.s, and the government still has to issue guidelines about the option.

The state schools in California and many other colleges are extending their May 1 commitment deadlines. Some are also creating new aid forms.

The federal financial aid formula used to give a break to families with two or more children in college at a time. That’s gone now, and some schools may not fill the gap.

Legislation that went into effect this year makes it easier for student loan borrowers to save for retirement while paying down their debt.

Experts are already encouraging students and parents to exchange usernames and passwords to expedite aid applications. One problem: It’s not legal.

Gov. Josh Shapiro, declaring that the system is broken, plans to place most schools under the same system and lower tuition for low- and middle-income students.

“Direct admission” is increasingly being offered to high school seniors who meet minimum academic qualifications. The participating schools are eager for more applicants.

FAFSA, S.A.I., N.P.C., CSS — the acronyms never end. And that’s just the beginning of the mayhem.

Because of high costs, some high school graduates have opted to delay, drop out of or forgo attending college altogether to avoid student debt that could hang over them for decades.

Next month, federal student loan borrowers may have their debt canceled if they are enrolled in the SAVE plan, initially borrowed $12,000 or less and made 10 years of payments.

Most Americans with card debt have not outlined a way to bring it down, a new report says. There are ways to get help.

The Education Department reduced payments to its loan servicers as the consumer bureau spotlighted mistakes.

The new, simplified version of the college student aid form was supposed to become available in December. It was, kind of, for some people.

Birmingham-Southern College was on the verge of receiving a multimillion-dollar loan, but the state treasurer balked, saying it was not a justifiable use of taxpayer money.

Each year, we ask teenagers to send us their application essays about work, money or social class. Here are four, from California to Cambodia.

After a pandemic freeze, 22 million people received their first bill in years in October — and around 60 percent paid, the government said.

Consumer spending has been strong this year, but retailers worry about shoppers' mood this holiday season.

Consumer spending has been strong in 2023 despite higher prices and waning savings. But some retailers have jitters heading into Black Friday.

The Biden administration may have been blocked from canceling debt for tens of millions of borrowers by the Supreme Court, but it has still managed to eliminate billions in education debt.

In her second memoir, the author of “Maid” recounts the struggle of getting educated in America below the poverty line.

Despite writing a best seller that became a hit Netflix series, Ms. Land says she still worries about her job security.

The Education Department said miscalculations had caused many borrowers to see higher monthly payments than they actually owed.

Answers to your questions about one of the biggest challenges facing students.

After years of criticism about financial aid letters that are confusing and sometimes misleading, about 400 schools have agreed to bring “clarity” to their communication.

Missed payments will be reported as a forbearance rather than as delinquencies. But your credit score could still be affected.

Young adults are struggling to keep up their credit scores and paying an increasing amount of disposable income servicing their debts.

One borrower’s story about falling behind on payments, defaulting on his private student loans and waiting out the statute of limitations on debt collection.

A three-year payment pause has ended in October. A more affordable repayment plan is available, and some borrowers will receive a fresh start.

Consumer spending remains resilient, but retailers’ latest earnings offered a glimpse into worrying shifts in shopping habits.

The income-driven plan, SAVE, will reduce payments for millions of borrowers, and more will qualify for $0 payments.

Debt rose to more than $1 trillion in the second quarter, a report found — a sign of financial strain for some, even before student loan payments resume.

The end of the payment pause means Americans in this age group will once again have to juggle paying off debt while trying to save for older age.

In addition to the new form, the federal government will expand eligibility for federal aid in the biggest overhaul in decades.

The payment pause freed up money that gave people breathing room — or allowed them to help family members in need. They will soon have to budget for that expense.

The report estimates that the plan will slash borrowers’ payments and cost more than President Biden’s recently rejected debt cancellation plan.

The Education Department announced that more than 800,000 borrowers would see their debt eliminated thanks to fixes made to its income-driven repayment programs.

We hope to tackle some essential queries — but we need your help.

The administration proposed to use its “compromise and settlement” powers under the Higher Education Act of 1965. But what does that mean?

Responses to queries about financial aid, 529 plans, need-blind schools and more.

Race-conscious admissions helped only a tiny fraction of Black and Hispanic students. It could not address the many obstacles to a college degree.

Millions will now have to repay debts the Biden administration had promised to eliminate.

Those who didn’t complete their degrees and many parents are among the borrowers likely to face challenging times ahead.

The pandemic pause on student loan payments will end soon, but a new system for calculating repayments may lower monthly bills.

The Supreme Court’s decision on student loan cancellation does not change programs that help public servants and low-income or disabled borrowers.

One way to preserve diversity now that the Supreme Court has ruled against two colleges’ race-based admissions policies: Tell people the true price.

Three years of relief from payments on $1.6 trillion in student debt allowed for other borrowing and spending — and will shift into reverse.

The Supreme Court blocked President Biden’s debt cancellation plan. Borrowers must now resume payments for the first time in three years without that relief.

Deposits into 529 savings accounts fell last fall and early this year. But experts say the stock market recovery is helping to attract more money.

Rates for undergraduate loans could top 5 percent next school year, adding pressure on families already struggling to pay for college.

Susan Miskin retired from her teaching job in 2019 and didn’t think she’d ever pay off her student loans. Then, her only child stepped in.

Each year, we publish a handful of essays by high school seniors. We’d love to read yours. If we use it, we’ll pay you.

Schools may try to guess other campuses you’re considering and provide a list of their prices. They may not be accurate.

A self-styled “anti-bank” poached good customers from the federal loan system. When pandemic relief made that harder, it sued the government.

Fed up with the lack of clear college pricing and other data, these parents hacked the information they needed into usable tools and guides.

Los lectores enviaron algunas de sus preguntas financieras más urgentes sobre temas como la seguridad social y la deuda de los préstamos estudiantiles. Los asesores financieros ofrecieron algunas ideas.

Readers sent some of their most urgent financial queries, asking about issues like Social Security and student loan debt. Financial planners offered ideas.

Savers will benefit and borrowers can expect to pay more on credit cards, student loans and other forms of debt.

Some young adults who returned home to save money and figure out their careers are calculating what it will take for them to leave again.

Los ahorradores se benefician y los deudores pueden esperar que sus deudas en tarjetas de crédito, préstamos estudiantiles y otros créditos aumenten.

Savers will benefit and borrowers can expect to pay more on credit cards, student loans and other forms of debt.