Frequently Ask Questions

Typically, your student's on-campus bookstore will have the best rates and will offer student discounts. You can check out the bookstore online or in-person. Apple offers a hefty student discount here.

Because of FERPA, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, information is not provided to parents of students over the age of 18. Generally, schools must have written permission from the parent or eligible student in order to release any information from a student's education record.

For more information, check out the Department of Education's site: http://www.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html.

It depends upon the college plans and the investment needs and goals of the family. Most states have created innovative college savings programs individually designed to reflect the unique needs of its citizens. The plans offer affordable, flexible, and tax-advantaged options that can ensure the education of our most precious resources - the children of America. While prepaid tuition plans offer the opportunity to assure future tuition payments, savings plan assets can be used for tuition and other qualified expenses such as room and board.

The average cost is $450-600 including initiation fees. Students will get a break down of each chapter's due structure during formal Recruitment, so they can see and understand the cost of each organization.

If a student is struggling in a class, they should schedule an office meeting with the professor. They can discuss challenges, note-taking and test-preparation methods, and tutoring possibilities. The professor can help the student decide if they should continue or drop the class. If the student continues, they should attend every class session.

Students recommend that new students wait a couple months before going home for the first time, citing Thanksgiving to be a good goal. Staying at school forces your student to connect.

I recommend connecting with your student's academic adviser. Typically, they can help you navigate the university's system - and understand how to help your student get back on track. Often campuses allow students to take courses for credit as auxiliary students, even if they are not enrolled as full-time students. Check with your school's continuing education program for more information.

The Leveraging Educational Assistance Partnership (LEAP) Program, which provides incentives for states to provide grants to students who attend college, has played a significant role in encouraging every state to create and maintain its own student grant program. States are required to provide at least 50 percent of the funding for this program. In 2001-02, federal LEAP funds provided $50 million in grants to students who attended postsecondary education. Including state matching funds, approximately 2 million students receive LEAP funds in 2000-01.

Some universities do offer incentives for parents with multiple students at the same university. To learn more, please contact your student's financial aid office.

Hope Scholarship Tax Credit:
The Hope Scholarship tax credit allows students, or their parents or guardians, to claim up to $1,500 per student per year for out-of-pocket tuition and fee expenditures. This $1,500 tax credit may be claimed for the first two years of undergraduate study. The Hope credit is available to taxpayers with a gross income of up to $50,000 (up to $100,000 for joint filers). The credit is phased out on a sliding scale for taxpayers earning $40,000 and above (and $80,000 and above for joint filers).

Lifetime Learning Tax Credit: