by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | Mar 19, 2026 | Financial Aid
College education strengthens the nation’s most important asset — its people. The Trump administration has developed a strategy for reforming college education that isn’t based on formal doctrine. Rather, it’s a conservative, market-oriented framework that integrates...
by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | Jan 29, 2026 | Financial Aid
Sallie Mae is a NASDAQ-traded corporation that conducts student lending services and provides resources for families planning to pay for college. It has changed dramatically since it was set up in the early 1970’s as a Federal entity that made and serviced Federal...
by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | Nov 5, 2025 | Financial Aid
Previously, we posted an article titled, “Tuition Discounts Offered as Merit Aid” regarding the practice by colleges of awarding partial merit scholarships to qualified applicants (also called discounted tuition). There are two reasons why this practice has become...
by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | Jul 8, 2025 | Financial Aid
The CSS Profile is an online college application administered by the College Board. Each year, use of the CSS Profile application allows students to access over $10 billion in non-Federal student aid. Annually, over 430,000 students receive an average of $45,000 in...
by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | May 19, 2025 | Financial Aid
Federal Direct Loans are government-backed financial aid options provided by the U.S. Education Department (ED) to help students afford the costs of higher education. Direct Subsidized Loans offer an initial interest-free period during college years for eligible...
by Micheal E. McKinnon, M.Ed., CCPS; College Planners of America, Ltd | May 21, 2024 | Financial Aid
Federal Direct PLUS Loans, commonly referred to as Parent PLUS Loans (PPL’s), are uncollateralized loans made by the U.S. Education Department (ED) to the parents of dependent students to help pay for college. PPL’s are a type of Federal loan intended for parents,...
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