College Planning Essentials

  • Introduction
  • College Matters
  • College Costs
  • Financial Aid
  • Saving and Investing
  • Appendix
  • Disclosure
  • Conclusion

College Planning Essentials

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

College Planning Essentials

College Planning Essentials

Table of contents

Table of contents

Page reference

Page reference

Higher education pays

"Major" differences in salaries

More education, more job opportunities

Tuition inflation

Future four-year college costs

The community college option

Preparing for more than four years

Financial aid overview

Financial aid reality check

The facts about athletic scholarships

Important changes to federal financial aid rules

Federal financial aid eligibility

Estimating your student aid index

Rising college debt

The 529 plan advantage

Choose the right investing vehicle for higher education

Using 529 plans

Start early, save more

How much to invest

Tax-efficient investing

Making rollovers from 529 plans to Roth IRAs

Making the most of 529 plan gifts

Catching up on college investing

Keep college and retirement funds separate

Performance pays

Staying diversified over 18 years

Invest more, borrow less

What to consider when choosing a 529 plan

College preparation timeline

College endowments and financial aid

Financial aid and college planning websites

Sources of financial aid

Financial aid: Types of applications

Federal student aid: A sample of grant programs

Federal student aid: Loan programs

Comparing college planning vehicles

Other sources of college funding

College-related tax breaks

529 plans: State tax benefits

Index definitions and disclosures

Disclosures

Disclosures

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

College Planning Essentials

College Planning Essentials

Table of contents

Table of contents

Page reference

Page reference

Higher education pays

"Major" differences in salaries

More education, more job opportunities

Tuition inflation

Future four-year college costs

The community college option

Preparing for more than four years

Financial aid overview

Financial aid reality check

The facts about athletic scholarships

Important changes to federal financial aid rules

Federal financial aid eligibility

Estimating your student aid index

Rising college debt

The 529 plan advantage

Choose the right investing vehicle for higher education

Using 529 plans

Start early, save more

How much to invest

Tax-efficient investing

Making rollovers from 529 plans to Roth IRAs

Making the most of 529 plan gifts

Catching up on college investing

Keep college and retirement funds separate

Performance pays

Staying diversified over 18 years

Invest more, borrow less

What to consider when choosing a 529 plan

College preparation timeline

College endowments and financial aid

Financial aid and college planning websites

Sources of financial aid

Financial aid: Types of applications

Federal student aid: A sample of grant programs

Federal student aid: Loan programs

Comparing college planning vehicles

Other sources of college funding

College-related tax breaks

529 plans: State tax benefits

Index definitions and disclosures

Disclosures

Disclosures

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

New York's 529 Advisor-Guided College Savings Program

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College Planning Essentials
:

Welcome to the 12th annual College Planning Essentials! Since 2013, this award-winning tool has been guiding families toward one of life’s most important goals. The 2025 edition is filled with easy-to-understand charts that can help college investors answer common questions and make well-informed decisions. You will find insights into tuition costs, financial aid, 529 plans and investment strategies – along with a summary of key messages for each page.