financial advice & planning

4 Easy Steps to Clean and Organize Your Finances in College

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Cleaning up your finances while you’re in college may seem like a tedious or intimidating chore. Do you really need to do that now? Can’t it wait until after you graduate? You could, but the problem with ignoring them now is dealing with a bigger mess later. Over a period of time, minor financial issues …

student loans

What You Need To Know About The National Student Loan Data System

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on March 12, 2025

The National Student Loan Data System (or NSLDS) is a centralized database for student aid. Managed by the U.S. Department of Education, the NSLDS maintains details of all your federal student loan borrowing and repayment activity. This information is collated from the various organizations that administer and service federal student loans. Why You May Want …

scholarship search & applications

How To Craft The Ideal Scholarship Application Letter — Sample Included!

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on June 6, 2023

Have you ever wondered how to make your scholarship application stand out? Or what to write when applying for a scholarship? You’re not alone! A scholarship application is made up of several components. One of the most important parts is the scholarship application letter. You’ll want to pay special attention to it and put a …

questions & answers

How Often Should I Be Applying For College Scholarship Awards?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on December 22, 2022

Winning scholarship awards is one of the best ways to get free money towards your college education. Unlike loans, you don’t have to worry about paying the money back or how much interest that money is going to attract. Whatever money you are awarded, is yours to keep. With that in mind, it’s tempting to …

questions & answers

Should I Use Grants for College?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on July 28, 2023

Scholarships are one of the most popular ways to pay for college. And easily the most well-known. But what about grants? One common question that revolves around financial aid and college tuition is “Should I use grants for college?” Of course, the follow up is: how to get grants for college. We cover just that …

scholarships

Chatting With $1,000 Scholarship Winner Jack Do!

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Congratulations to Jack Do, recipient of the $1,000 College Raptor scholarship award! Through his essay, I learned more about Jack’s college search journey and the challenges he faced. Check out Jack’s Q&A below! He has a lot of interesting things to say, and plenty of advice to give for fellow students. Tell us a little …

student loans

National Student Loan Debt Statistics: 2019

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on March 24, 2025

You hear quite a bit about student loan debt and the issues that arise from it here in the news. But have you ever had a chance to look at some of the statistics surrounding the money and debt involved? Here’s a quick rundown of some of the stats about Federal direct loans, private loans, …

scholarships

Chatting with Scholarship Winner Alexandra Szewc!

By Allison WignallLast updated on December 22, 2022

Congratulations to Alexandra Szewc, the $2,500 College Raptor scholarship winner! I recently got the chance to ask her about her college search journey and the challenges that came with it. This is what she had to say! Tell us a little about yourself! Hello! My name is Alexandra Szewc. I’m a senior at the Academy …

student loans

How To Balance A Job Search And School Loans At The Same Time

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 25, 2025

For many college graduates, it is the time immediately after the graduation ceremony that the ultimate “juggling act” begins. This is the time in which they must try to find a job while also paying down their school loans. If you are one of the thousands of recent college graduates who need to learn this …

financial aid

How Can I Get Tuition Assistance?

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 22, 2022

There’s no doubt college tuition can be expensive, which leads many students to look into ways to make their higher education options more affordable. Here are three ways you can work towards getting tuition assistance. Complete Your FAFSA One of your first steps for tuition assistance should always be completing your FAFSA. (The Free Application …