All Questions & Answers Articles

We cover a few community college myths below.
financial aid, questions & answers

Is community college free in California?

By College Raptor StaffPublished on November 25, 2025
Key takeaways: Some eligible students receive tuition waivers at California community colleges through the California Promise. Others may receive fee waivers, living allowances, and Pell Grants to help lower the overall cost. To increase your chances of free community college in California, complete the FAFSA, apply for the Cal Grant, and research scholarships. On average, …
questions & answers

Loud Budgeting – The Opposite of Quiet Luxury

By College Raptor StaffPublished on July 15, 2024
Even if you’ve never heard the viral term, you may already know about loud budgeting. This budgeting trend simply means that people are very open with what they have and may set certain boundaries with friends and families to prioritize their money. The idea of loud budgeting is to empower more people to be comfortable …
Family figuring out SAI calculation.
financial aid, questions & answers

What is SAI vs EFC?

By College Raptor StaffPublished on December 22, 2023
SAI replaces EFC in the 2024-2025 FAFSA. SAI is the number that colleges will use to assess your eligibility for financial aid. It’s a significant, more streamlined change from the EFC system previously used and is meant to provide a more straightforward student aid calculation for families and prospective students.  Navigating the maze of federal …
dorms in college.
questions & answers

What’s the Average Dorm Cost?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on February 26, 2025
College costs and tuition vary dramatically across the United States. Private colleges tend to have higher tuition than their public counterparts. The same goes for the cost of living in a college dorm. According to the Education Data Initiative, the average dorm cost for a 4-year college is around $11,520 for public institutions and $13,028 …
questions & answers

What Is Tuition Reciprocity?

By College Raptor StaffPublished on October 4, 2023
A tuition reciprocity agreement is an agreement between two (or more) states that specifically pertains to the cost of tuition. This agreement essentially allows students from one state to get the benefit of lower-cost in-state tuition when they enroll in a college in another state within the reciprocity agreement. To better understand what tuition reciprocity …
questions & answers

What Is In-State Tuition?

By College Raptor StaffLast updated on October 2, 2023
When deciding which colleges to apply to, one of many decisions you’ll have to make is whether you want to attend an in-state or out-of-state institution. Cost is a big difference between the two. Students who choose to attend an in-state college pay in-state tuition, which brings up the question, what does that mean and …
Infographic with tips to go to college debt free.
questions & answers

How To Go to College Debt Free (Or with Less Debt)

By Hilary CairnsLast updated on December 15, 2023
No one wants to graduate college under a mountain of student loan debt that needs to be repaid. And as a result, some students are actually forgoing the college experience all together in order to save their future finances. While sometimes it is unavoidable if you want to go to a particular college or study a …

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