College costs keep climbing, pushing some adult learners toward faster paths into the civilian workforce. Some colleges and other higher education institutions are responding with new options for shorter degrees. Enter the three-year, 90-credit bachelor’s degree some colleges are now trying out. For generations, the undergraduate standard has been 120 credit hours completed over four…
For-profit colleges could lose access to federal student loans and Pell Grants under legislation introduced in the House of Representatives. Representative Pramila Jayapal sponsored the Students Not Profits Act to strike for-profit institutions from Title IV eligibility under the Higher Education Act of 1965. The move would ban federal student aid to for-profit schools nationwide.…
Paying for college is challenging for both students and their parents. Military parents have options to help pay for their teenager’s future college needs, and they can find thousands of dollars (or the equivalent) in college financial aid for their high schoolers. Parents can find these through federal programs, base services, and military charity foundations.…
VA education benefits provide substantial funding for college and career training, yet they still leave some expenses unpaid. Before building a budget, students must evaluate what Department of Veterans Affairs programs cover and which charges require out-of-pocket payment. What VA Education Benefits Will Not Pay For Schools cannot certify courses a student previously completed with…
Private colleges face mounting enrollment troubles as potential students turn away from their tuition rates. While schools commonly offer scholarships and other forms of aid, high advertised tuition can cause sticker shock and drive prospective students away before they can factor in financial aid. Private Colleges Adjust Tuition to Help Boost Enrollment According to the…
There are many ways to pay for college. The most obvious options include college scholarships (typically awarded to students who excel in sports and academics) and student loans. But not everyone has access to these options. What are the non-scholarship financial aid options open to you when transitioning out of military life into college? Paying…
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid, known as the FAFSA, serves as the gateway form used by the federal government, state agencies, and colleges to award financial assistance, including federal student loans, Pell Grants, and work-study funds. In 2026, there are important FAFSA changes, and every student should know about them. FAFSA changes stem…
Is free tuition a growing trend among American colleges? Public universities across Texas are expanding guaranteed tuition programs to address concerns about college affordability. InsideHigherEd.com reports that this comes as schools nationwide struggle to add value and manage overall higher education costs. According to a directory published by Trellis Strategies, a Texas-based research and consulting…
Military spouses face multiple career challenges because of permanent change-of-station moves, deployments, and other factors. But the DoD offers help for those seeking portable careers, and military spouses may qualify for up to $4,000 in federal military tuition assistance through the former MyCAA option offered under the rebranded Department of Defense SpouseWorks program. SpouseWorks is…
According to the Department of Education (DoE) official site, “If you don’t make payments on your federal student loans for nine months, your loans go into default. After a year of missed payments, being in default means you face serious financial consequences—but you have options to get your loans back on track.” The DoE and…
As the federal government restricts student loan options, state-backed student loans have become a trend. Some two dozen state lenders offer student loan options intended to help students pay for college. Some colleges have offered such options for years as a supplement, but they may become far more common for the right applicants. But there…
Private nonprofit colleges are offering tuition discounts to offset rising higher-education costs, a trend that has led some colleges to offer discounts over 50% to incoming first-year undergraduates, yet net tuition revenue adjusted for inflation continues to decline across the country. College Tuition Discounts at All-Time Highs According to the National Association of College and…
State-funded education benefits for disabled military veterans and their dependents are offered at the state level in addition to those offered by the federal Department of Veterans Affairs. These education benefits range from complete tuition waivers to selective grant awards, depending on the state. While not all states offer these benefits, those that do give…
Is the Yellow Ribbon Program obsolete? Learn how it continues to benefit veterans pursuing higher education and certifications.
Data from the Lumina Foundation and Gallup shows that just 12 percent of U.S. adults believe four-year colleges do a good or excellent job staying affordable. This comes as many universities are struggling with their operating budgets and federal scrutiny over curricula, ideology, and funding. Lumina/Gallup Poll on College Affordability Part of the problem with…
Defaulted student loans block new federal aid until the default is resolved. There are two ways to fix defaulted student loans, and which one you need may depend on how soon the semester starts and how much a clean credit report matters. Fixing Defaulted Student Loans SAVE (“Saving on a Valuable Education”) was created in…
Did you know that under certain qualifying circumstances, you may be able to apply to the federal government to have your federal student loans discharged or forgiven? This refers to more than the Public Service Student Loan Forgiveness program (PSLF). Do You Need Federal Student Loan Forgiveness? According to StudentAid.gov, “You may qualify for student…
The federal government ended the Graduate PLUS loan program for new applicants on July 1, 2026. This was done via the Working Families Tax Cuts Act, which affects students (including student veterans) pursuing advanced degrees. Graduate PLUS Loans Eliminated With Graduate PLUS borrowing eliminated, new students must use alternative options for the costs of graduate…
The Department of Education has announced a temporary program to address declining auto-pay participation among federal student loan borrowers. It’s a move that could (again, temporarily) save student loan borrowers money on student loan interest for the duration of the program. As of July 1, 2026, the existing interest rate reduction for borrowers enrolled in…
At the end of June, 2026, two federal judges issued injunctions preventing the Department of Education from using new regulations changing the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program. These rulings arrived one day before the changes were scheduled to take effect, but an appeal by the federal government is likely. The Department of Education released…
If you attend school on the GI Bill and fail a class, will you get charged for the GI Bill benefits you used? What about those who withdraw or have an “incomplete” designation on one of their courses? Failing or Withdrawing from College Classes on the GI Bill The VA is required to approach you…
The Department of Education rolls out new restrictions on the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program as of July 1, 2026, requiring people to enroll in the federal Repayment Assistance Plan to earn credit toward debt discharge. The law excludes the Tiered Standard Plan from the list of qualifying repayment options.
The DoD announces a 4.2% increase in BAH for 2026, impacting millions of service members and their housing compensation.
The BAH gap is the period between school semesters when student veterans using the Post-9/11 GI Bill stop receiving their Monthly Housing Allowance (MHA). This happens during standard academic breaks, such as winter and summer holidays. Because the payment stops while living expenses, such as rent and utilities, continue, it creates a predictable and potentially stressful income gap. Learn more.
While VA work-study can be an excellent opportunity to earn some extra cash while you are in school, it’s good to know that there are other, non-VA work-study options. Maybe you want to explore other jobs that are more consistent with your interests or more relevant to your career path. Here’s why these might be worth considering.
