Merit aid is a powerful way to finance a college education. Merit aid is a type of financial assistance that recognizes student achievements in a range of activities. Institutions award merit aid to students based largely on their academic accomplishments in high school or scores on...

College admissions teams read thousands of essays each year. To stand out in the crowd, write a unique essay. Here are 10 topics that could set your essay apart from the other submissions. 1. Reveal a failure. Instead of sharing a success story, be vulnerable and describe...

Your last semester of high school can be exciting and sentimental as you attend Prom, participate in graduation, and prepare for college. Instead of slacking off, this semester is more important than ever. Here are the four ways you can end your high school career...

Saving money to pay for college tuition, books, and other expenses can seem like a daunting task until you break it down into small pieces. Like you write your college admissions essay one word at a time, you can save for college one dollar at...

Earlier this month we shared advice for parents on how not to stress students out during the college application process; today the tables have turned and we share our advice—students: don't stress out your parents. If you have already started the college admission process—even just...

Parents: don't stress out your students during the college admissions process. It's the best piece of advice we can give to you as your family sets off to send your student on the next step of their life. The college admissions process is stressful enough...

At Accolade Financial we work with students and families of all ages, but want to share our best advice on when to start planning for college. It's easy—the earlier you start, the better. You'll save more money and be in better shape to be accepted...

Planning for retirement and paying for college go hand in hand. Whether you're a parent or a college graduate looking to pursue a graduate degree, there are a number of factors to consider. We strongly encourage you to fund an IRA, 401k, or other employee-sponsored...