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As of the end of 2019, student loan debt reached $1.48 trillion in the US, with approximately 45 million borrowers across the country. Over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, many Americans have experienced unprecedented financial instability. This means that for 45 million Americans, paying down student loan debt may be harder than ever before.
If you have kids and are headed for divorce, one of the most difficult negotiations maybe agreeing on how your children’s college tuition will be handled. We have seen this issue come up over and over again in divorces, and it is best to get as much clarity during the negotiation process as possible.
A college education has come to be thought of as something every child in America is entitled to, and something that every parent wants to provide. Seeing your child go to college is almost as much a part of the “American Dream” as owning your own home. But with college costs rising far faster than general inflation, a 4-year education at a pricey private school can easily exceed a quarter of a million dollars. And even 4 years at an in-state public school can easily exceed $100,000 per child.
College students and their parents dodged a major bullet with the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Initial drafts of the bill included the elimination of Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, the Lifetime Learning Credit, and the student loan interest deduction, along with the taxation of tuition waivers, which are used primarily by graduate students and college employees. In the end, none of these provisions made it into the final legislation. But a few other college-related items did. These changes take effect in 2018.
Over the last 20 years, many people have used 529 plans as a way to save for their children’s or grandchildren’s college education on a tax advantaged basis. Basically, if you put money into a 529 plan and invest it, you can reap the benefit of the growth on the money in the plan tax-free if it is used to pay for qualified higher education expenses for the beneficiary of the 529 account. Those expenses typically include college tuition, room and board, books, computers, software, and other items.
With some private colleges now crossing the once unthinkable $70,000-per-year mark in the 2017/2018 school year, and higher costs at public colleges, too, financial aid is essential for many families. How much do you know about this important piece of the college financing puzzle? Consider these financial aid myths.
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