GHS School Counseling

10/04/2026

The same $10,000 hits the FAFSA three different ways depending on whose name is on it.

In the student's savings account, it adds $2,000 to the Student Aid Index at the 20% rate. Moved into a parent-owned 529, it adds at most $564. Held in a grandparent's 529, it doesn't appear on the form at all.

The card lists what else counts and what stays off, including your home and retirement accounts. Send it to a parent who has the form open this week.

https://thecollegeinvestor.com/58908/how-do-you-calculate-current-net-worth-of-assets-for-fafsa/

10/02/2026

October is National Principals Month! 😀

We want to express our heartfelt gratitude to Mr. Dixon who leads our school every single day. His dedication, passion, and vision shape the educational experiences of our students and foster positive, safe school cultures. ⭐

Principals do much more than manage day-to-day operations—they act as mentors, motivators, and problem-solvers who inspire teachers, staff, and students to strive for their best. They navigate challenges with grace and create environments where every child can thrive! A huge thank you to Mr. Dixon and all he does! 🇺🇸

09/30/2026

BIG NEWS 🎉 Any high-achieving, under-resourced Lexington County/Gilbert High School senior can receive up to $10,000 for college through the . Check your eligibility now ➡️

Check if you qualify for the Meeting Street Scholarship by reviewing our eligibility criteria. Start your application today.

09/28/2026

Filling out the FAFSA this fall? The asset section trips up more families than any other part of the form. 🏠

Key rule: you report your assets as of the day you submit. Not your year-end statements, not your tax return. If you file on October 10, you log into your accounts that day and report those balances.

And a lot of what you might think counts actually doesn't. Your primary home stays off the form. So does your 401(k), IRA, pension, and life insurance. Under the new OBBBA rules, family-owned small businesses with fewer than 100 employees and family farms are off the form too. You also don't list credit cards, car loans, or student loans anywhere.

Getting this section right means your aid package reflects your real financial picture. Overreporting can cost your kid money.

Here's exactly what to include and what to leave out: https://thecollegeinvestor.com/58908/how-do-you-calculate-current-net-worth-of-assets-for-fafsa/

09/26/2026

The FAFSA opened early this year, and a lot of families making $120,000 to $130,000 are about to skip it again.

What people miss is that the FAFSA is just an application. It alone does not have income caps. Each underlying program has its own rules.

Pell Grants have income limits, and people generalize from Pell to the whole system, but the form itself turns nobody away.

Federal loans have no income test at all, and the FAFSA is the application.

Many colleges won't award their own grants or merit scholarships without a FAFSA on file. And a number of states have made completing it a high school graduation requirement.

What decides need isn't your salary in the abstract. It's your Student Aid Index measured against a specific school's cost of attendance.

If your senior is applying this fall, this is twenty minutes that can be worth thousands. Send it to a parent who's been told not to bother.

Full story: https://thecollegeinvestor.com/89326/we-make-too-much-for-financial-aid-should-we-still-file-the-fafsa/

09/24/2026

COCA-COLA SCHOLARSHIP 2027 IN USA 🇺🇸 ($20,000 College Scholarship)

150 students are selected each year, and each scholar receives a $20,000 college scholarship.

Link is in the comments...

🎓 Scholarship Award: $20,000 per scholar
🏆 Number of Scholars: 150
📚 Study Level: College/Post-secondary Education
📝 Phase 1: No essay, transcript, or recommendation required
📅 Deadline: September 30, 2026, at 5:00 PM Eastern Time

Applicants must meet the official citizenship/residency, GPA, school location, and other eligibility requirements.

Credit: Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation
Disclaimer: This post is for informational purposes only. Scholarships Corner is not affiliated with the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation. Please check the official website for complete details.

09/24/2026

FAFSA opened today, and the number you'll get back deserves a preview: the Student Aid Index.

An SAI of zero or below earns the maximum Pell Grant, $7,395 this year. Anything up to about $6,655 earns a partial Pell. At $14,790 or higher, Pell is off the table. The state and school side runs its own math on top, across roughly 2,000 colleges.

Know the three thresholds before the letter arrives, so it reads as information instead of a verdict. https://thecollegeinvestor.com/45946/good-sai-student-aid-index/

09/22/2026

If you're filling out the FAFSA and it jumped straight past the questions about your bank accounts and 529 plans, take a breath. You didn't make a mistake. 🎓

The form skips those questions on purpose for families under $60,000 in income with a simple return, families where anyone received a federal benefit like Medicaid or free school lunch in the last two years, and students who qualify for the maximum Pell Grant.

Pass one test and your assets count for nothing in the federal formula.

We broke down all three rules, the one exception that catches parents living abroad, and why the CSS Profile still asks anyway. Send this to a parent who is stressing over the FAFSA this week.

Full Details:
https://thecollegeinvestor.com/88745/fafsa-asset-questions-dont-have-to-be-reported/