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EXCELLENCE
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EXCELLENCE MONEY

Paying for College, Explained

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LEVEL 1 · 0/3LEVEL 2 · 0/3LEVEL 3 · 0/3LEVEL 4 · 0/3LEVEL 5 · 0/3START
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Pay for college in the US with the facts: sticker versus net price, the FAFSA, Pell Grants, the new 2026 federal loan limits, interest, Parent PLUS and private loans, whether the degree pays, a year budget, community college and apprenticeships, RAP versus Tiered Standard repayment, and the myths and scams that cost money.

2h 52m5 constellations
AT THE SUMMIT, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO

01Know your net price and what you never repay

02Work out your loan limits and your RAP payment

03Compare colleges and routes with official data

04Protect your aid from scams and myths

Every lesson of Paying for College, Explained

15 lessons in 5 levels, about 3 hours. Level 1 is free.

Level 1How It WorksFree · 3 lessons
  1. Sticker price vs what you payTell a college's published price from what students really pay.11 min
  2. The FAFSA: your key to aidKnow what the FAFSA unlocks, what it costs and when to file it.11 min
  3. Checkpoint: grants, loans and interestTell grants from loans, and subsidized loans from unsubsidized ones.11 min
Level 2Who Really RepaysMembership · 3 lessons
  1. How much can you borrow?Know the federal loan limits, and plan to borrow less than the maximum.12 min
  2. Parent PLUS and private loansUnderstand what changed for parent loans, and what private loans lack.11 min
  3. Checkpoint: does the degree pay?Weigh what a degree costs against what it tends to earn, and why the program matters.12 min
Level 3Living on ItMembership · 3 lessons
  1. Budget your college yearCheck whether grants, loans and work cover a real year of costs.12 min
  2. Money you don't pay backFind the grants and scholarships you might be missing, and avoid aid scams.10 min
  3. Checkpoint: other routesWeigh community college, apprenticeships and short programs against a four-year degree.11 min
Level 4After You GraduateMembership · 3 lessons
  1. When repayment startsKnow when payments begin, what happens by default, and how payments are applied.10 min
  2. RAP or Tiered Standard?Compare the two plans for new federal loans, by income or by balance.13 min
  3. Checkpoint: myths that cost moneySpot the student-loan myths that lead to bad decisions.11 min
Level 5Decide and PlanMembership · 3 lessons
  1. The borrowing conversationTalk calmly with a worried parent about loans, with the facts.13 min
  2. Protect your aidKeep your account, identity and aid safe from scams.10 min
  3. Capstone: your college money planTurn the rules into your own plan, from FAFSA to repayment.14 min
FREE

Level 1 is open.

Membership opens every other level of this path.

See membership
AFTER THE CORE

Keep going where this path leads.

Build Your Personal Money SystemBudgeting after graduation · 3h 14m
Get Hired for the Job You WantTurn the degree into a job · 3h 29m