Every parent knows the road to college is not the easiest journey to trek. For some parents, they realize in retrospect that planning for college should have begun before their student’s senior year of high school. Others are beginning to navigate the college planning process earlier, but find they have a lot of questions about how to get their child on the right path to college—academically, financially, mentally and more.
Early College Planning
College Financial Planning
Preparing Academically
Extracurricular Activities
Finding the Right College
Applying to College
Choosing a College Major & Career Path
College Acceptance
Do you have more questions about the path to college? If so, please leave us a comment below or email our customer service team. Our editors are experienced in the higher education field and will work to get you the answers you are looking for.
Get important dates and deadlines related to the world of higher education.
Break through the mounds of college-prep deadlines and important dates so you and your student don’t feel overwhelmed or overlook an important opportunity. Get a clear picture of what you can do as a parent, and when, to help prepare your child for college. From when you can apply for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to what your high school junior or high school senior should be doing monthly to get ready for college, understand critical recurring deadlines so you and your student can plan ahead.Learn more about scholarships.
Find out why applying for scholarships is important. Learn how Fastweb makes it easier for them to find scholarships that they should apply for and how the creation of their Fastweb profile can save them time. Parents can also create a Fastweb profile to see what scholarship opportunities are out there. Get tips on how to help your child win scholarships and how to encourage them to keep applying for them. You'll find unique scholarship-themed articles, scholarships by school year, Fastweb scholarship sweepstakes, and more! Our articles containing scholarship advice will help your student stay focused on winning free money to pay for school.Create a financial plan to pay for college.
This portion of the page gives parents a big picture of how financial aid can be used to pay for your student’s college education as well as how the average family pays for college, so you know what the norms are. If you feel like you do not have a clear understanding of all the financial aid possibilities out there, you’re not alone! Many U.S. parents are not even aware of all of the ways there are to pay for college. Our financial aid section provides the resources you need to start a financial and college savings plan to pay for college, including how to optimize each type of aid. Do not miss out on any local, state, federal, or private loan option your student can use to pay for their degree. Learn what types of financial aid, including student loans, you should consider first to prioritize each financial option. Get insider financial aid details all parents should know about. For instance, many parents and students don’t know they can appeal their financial aid award packages (or even know what the award packages are)—but you can!See what other questions parents have about planning for college.
Avoid digging through the Web to find an answer to your college planning questions. While you may find a quick answer, there is a chance these solutions are not current or correct. We have gathered the most-asked questions from parents about everything related to college planning. Find the answers you are looking for in one place, our Parent FAQ page. Each question has been categorized to help you quickly find what you are looking for. Below is a list of each category of our frequently asked questions—AND answers:You Might Also Like
Shawna Newman
Managing Editor, Contributing Writer
Shawna Newman is the Managing Editor and a writer at Fastweb. She has over 10 years of experience in higher education. Her direct work with college admissions teams, financial aid officers, college deans, ...