The official e-newsletter of The Equestrian College Advisor.

From the blog:

Day Two of the 2015 Virginia private colleges tour came early (the second day always seems to do that!) and found us bound for Danville, VA, home of

Averett University

and its nearly 1,000 undergraduate students. These individuals come from 25 different states and 19 countries so they can attend a small school with a “singular focus on student success” – the overarching theme of our visit.

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As we prepare to see

The Gilmore Girls

rebooted onscreen,

it's worth a look back to see the lesson we learned from Rory about how to deal with PSAT competition at school

.

Colleges want to know that you're interested in them the same way you want to know that they're interested in you.

Here are four ways you can show them the love this application season.

The New FAFSA - A Primer

The results of your 2015 IRS tax return just became more important than ever in the awarding process for college financial aid. With the introduction of the prior-prior year income into the filing process (as opposed to the current prior year awarding structure), big changes are on the horizon for freshmen students who will enter college as soon as the fall of 2016.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Financial aid eligibility will now be based off income from two years prior to a student’s enrollment as opposed to just one. As a result, current college freshman, as well as next year’s freshmen (who are seniors right now), will complete the Free Application for Student Aid (FAFSA) for next year using 2015 income and in the next academic year, the 2015 income will be used again. (Summary: The parent’s 2015 income will be counted twice in the new FAFSA formula.)

• For freshmen entering college in 2017, 2015 tax returns will also be used. Because of the two year (prior-prior) formula, current high school juniors will also have their financial aid packages affected by this year’s tax return. For the entering freshmen of 2017, the tax years taken into account will be 2015 and 2016.

• Parents of high school juniors must start planning ahead for the financial aid filing process now. For example, if you were planning to boost your taxable income in 2016, the time to do so is actually right now. It’s also prudent to look for other opportunities to delay deductions and shift 2016 income into this tax year.

• Parents of high school juniors will also be able to file their FAFSA as early as October 1, 2016. The change to the available filing date (which moves it up from January 1 of the New Year) will be permanent and will enable families to send their information to colleges earlier in order to receive accurate financial aid package information in advance of when they currently do.

The FAFSA web site offers a

handy PDF breakdown

of the changes for 2016 and many accountants and other financial experts will be able to offer specific advice to families who need extra support and advice.

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