Category: College Planning

The Perfect Month to Celebrate College Savings

May is the perfect month to recognize and celebrate 529 college savings plans. Why? Because like May flowers–with investment and time—they grow. Bank of North Dakota’s College SAVE Plan and KX News Network have partnered and are celebrating 529 plans in May by giving away five $529 contributions. Visit collegesave4u.com to enter the drawing. Registration ends May Read More

College SAVE: A Gift That Makes A Difference

According to the National Retail Federation, Americans plan to spend an average of $830 on Christmas gifts and other holiday items this year. Unless you happen to be an extraordinary gift-giver, chances are that a portion of those gifts will be forgotten, thrown away, or re-gifted. What gift can you give that you know your Read More

College SAVE announces new match program for kindergarten children

Bank of North Dakota’s (BND) College SAVE Plan announced a new match program that encourages families with children entering kindergarten to save for college. The Kindergarten Kickoff Match will deposit $100 into a new or existing College SAVE account as an incentive to set aside a portion of the family’s daycare budget and start saving Read More

Calculators Can Help Prevent Unwanted Surprises

Surprises are great – sometimes. When it comes to budgeting and financials, it’s much better to be educated and make thoughtful decisions. BND has created a series of calculators to help you plan so you don’t take on too much student loan or credit card debt. Budget calculator Add up your income and subtract your Read More

The Perfect Month to Celebrate College Savings

May is the perfect month to recognize and celebrate 529 college savings plans. Why? Because like May flowers–with investment and time—they grow. Bank of North Dakota and KX News Network have partnered and are celebrating 529 plans in May by giving away five $529 contributions. Visit the collegesave4u.com to enter the drawing. Registration ends May Read More

Completed the FAFSA. Congratulations. What Comes Next.

When you complete the FAFSA, you’ll need to list schools you’re interested in attending. Your FAFSA application is sent to those schools, and the ones that you’ve applied to and been accepted to will send you financial aid offer letters stating how much you can receive in financial aid. In addition to grants, scholarships and Read More

6 Items to Complete the FAFSA Faster

The FAFSA process has been greatly simplified. If you have the following information at your fingertips, it takes most people about an hour to complete. Federal Student Aid ID (FSA ID) for both the parent and the student. You apply for this online at fsaid.ed.gov. Student’s Social Security number and date of birth 2018 federal tax Read More

The FAFSA is the First Step in the Financial Aid Process but What is It?

The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) is the first step in the college financial aid process. It must be completed every year by students seeking financial aid. Financial aid includes grants, scholarships, work-study programs and student loans. The application is free to complete. Don’t let anyone scam you and offer to complete it Read More

Get a new lease on life: Your guide to off-campus housing

For many college students, the independence that comes with living off campus teaches valuable life skills, such as paying bills, cooking, cleaning and managing a household. But sometimes the responsibilities of off-campus living can be a bit overwhelming. You need to learn how to navigate lease terms and communicate with your landlord. Here are a Read More

Become a credit card shark: Five tips for managing credit in college

Imagine you’re shopping online for back-to-school shoes when you spy an amazing pair of Nikes. They’re your favorite color, they have the perfect amount of traction and they only cost… $145. Whoa. Now you have a real dilemma on your hands. You don’t get your paycheck for another three weeks and even then you won’t Read More

Turn Friday night pizza into student debt freedom: Five tips for saving money and investing in your future

During your first few weeks of college, the next four years seem to stretch before you like a never-ending road. But before you know it, a semester has passed. Then, an entire school year.  Suddenly you find yourself halfway through your college career and about $14,000 in student debt. Yikes! At this rate, your post-grad Read More

Five ways to make summer reading a walk in the park

School’s out, the sun is shining, the grass is green and you can’t wait to hang out at the pool with friends. But wait a second… you’re only two years away from starting college (or scarier yet, only one year away). Didn’t your school counselor say something about preparing for college over the summer? Chances Read More

Test out of freshman year: Your guide to CLEP and DSST exams

What if you could skip college classes because you already learned the material in high school? Better yet, what if you could graduate a semester early and jump start your career, saving yourself time and money? If you take a College-Level Examination Program (CLEP) or DANTES Subject Standardized Test (DSST) exam after your senior year Read More

Five reasons why job shadowing helps benefit your future career

Picture this. You’re a high school senior trying to decide between two different majors. On one hand, you’ve always dreamed about attending medical school, but you’re worried you won’t like working long hours at the clinic. On the other hand, you love music and think you have what it takes to be a band teacher, Read More

If you build it, employers will come: How to “cleanup” your resume game

The number one way to set yourself up for success in college and beyond is to develop a killer resume that leaves a lasting impression on employers and college admission counselors. Your resume should include everything from extracurricular involvement and volunteer work to internships and summer jobs. But that’s not all. Resumes should also give Read More

Five simple, cost-effective ways to decorate your college dorm

The store aisles are buzzing. Soon-to-be college students are paging through lists of dorm necessities and shelling out hundreds of dollars for futons, mini fridges and Keurig coffeemakers. New roommates are already arguing over matching bedspreads and wall décor. What is the cause of all this madness? It could be nothing less than back-to-school shopping. Read More

Planning a summer road trip? Don’t forget to make a college visit.

Summer is the perfect time to travel, explore new places and visit friends and family. But before you get too busy planning your next vacation destination, make time to schedule a pit stop at one of your top college choices. A buffet of college options When making a college decision, it’s important to determine what Read More