LA Times: Sizing up college offers
The Los Angeles Times has this report by Kathy M. Kristoff: Sizing up college financial aid packages – here’s how parents can figure out how much they’ll really have to pay out of pocket.
A snippet:
When the Hans sat down to examine the letters for a side-by-side comparison, they were stumped. Each one seemed to use different terms, making it hard to compare costs from one school to the next.
“There is no uniform financial aid letter,” said Lynn O’Shaughnessy, San Diego-based author of “The College Solution: A Guide for Everyone Looking for the Right School at the Right Price.” “They can be confusing — sometimes intentionally so — to make the awards look better.”
How do you translate the details? She’s got some great tips.
What did we do when my daughter got those letters in spring 2007? We got second opinions from people who could provide informed opinions – including my father-in-law (a retired banker) and my father (a retired college administrator).
Posted: April 24th, 2008 under College, In the News.
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