If you have a high school junior or senior who is about to start applying to colleges, cost and financial aid might be top of your mind. One of the best ways to lower the cost of college, of course, is by earning scholarships—and the more your teen applies, the greater chance he has of securing some scholarship money.

If you’ve got a college-bound teen, you’re probably at least a little familiar with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), but do you know how this application can affect your teen’s future?

When you’ve put money away in that 529 plan and talked with your child for years about college, it might feel like a punch to the gut when your teen suddenly declares that they aren’t interested. What can you do?

After working toward a future that seemed far off, the time has finally come for your teen to graduate high school and head to college and into the real world. After all of your teen’s hard work leading up to this point, it’s important for them to finish strong.

Not all children know exactly what they want to be when they grow up. And while it’s perfectly fine if your child doesn’t talk about potential careers right now, it can’t hurt to encourage him to start exploring possibilities.

A 529 plan offers a range of tax and other benefits for parents putting away money for their children’s college education. You might already know this if you have one set up for your child, but if not, here are a few essentials about this excellent college savings plan.