Learn what classifies a college student as independent, including being married, older than 23, a veteran, or an emancipated minor, as well as how students can apply for a dependency override and common reasons that a college may grant a student independent status. …

Learn what you may see in a typical financial aid offer, including grants, scholarships, work-study, and subsidized and unsubsidized federal student loans. …

Learn about the typical number of colleges to apply to, early action and early decision deadlines, if financial aid comes with acceptance letters, who to ask for letters of recommendation, the best topics for college essays, and more. …

Learn how and where to declare 529 funds on the FAFSA and CSS Profile, which 529 accounts you should report, and how to report a 529 that is owned by someone other than the parent. …

When making a plan to pay for college, consider financial fit, estimate earning potential, borrow federal student loans first, use a monthly payment plan, and borrow wisely. …

Learn about the benefits of Early College Program, how they started, how they reduce the cost of college degree completion, how the program has expanded, and how you can find participating schools within MEFA Pathway. …

Learn factors to consider when selecting a student loan, what loans to apply for, the difference between loans in a student's name and a parent's name, what interest is involved when paying back financial aid, and if Parent PLUS Loans can be put in the student's name after graduation. …

Learn how students can sign into MEFA Pathway using Clever, a secure pipeline between a school's data and various learning applications that offers single sign-on capabilities, and why this is beneficial for students. …

Learn how to accept your financial aid offer, when you need to accept an offer by, when schools set their cost of attendance for the year, if outside scholarships impact merit scholarship awards, and more. …

Learn how to receive paper statements with an online account, how to schedule automatic deposits at your chosen frequency, how to stop automatic deposits if needed, and the benefits of having an online account for a child in college.…