With October 1st right around the corner and updates to federal student loan interest rates, we have reviewed & revised our Paying for College Unit materials to make sure you’ve got the most up to date information. 

What’s changed?

1. Loan Rates - Every year the Office of Federal Student Aid adjusts their loan rates. These figures are updated through all NGPF resources  for loans disbursed from 7/1/2022-7/1/2023. You can review these new loan rates here. 

2. FAFSA Information - NGPF Activities were updated to prepare students for the launch of the 2023-2024 FAFSA on October 1st!

3. Pell Grant Limits - NGPF resources were updated to reflect the increased 2022-2023 Pell Grant amount.

4. Answer Keys - All NGPF answer keys were reviewed and updated to reflect any changes. 

Activity Spotlight: 

Here are a few newly updated activities that may be helpful when teaching your Paying For College unit!

• INTERACTIVE: How Much Will Your College Actually Cost? 
• This activity uses an online tool to determine the difference between the sticker price and net prices of colleges. 
• COMPARE: Which Repayment Option is Best?
• Students use a loan repayment calculator to preview their student loan repayment options. 
• ANALYZE: A Student Aid Report (SAR)
• Students will answer questions after reviewing a sample Student Aid Report. 

Semester Course Update!

If you haven’t already heard, the NGPF Semester Course is getting a glow up! (You can read more details and view the roadmap here.) The Paying For College unit in this course is now available with 7 freshly updated lessons! 

Interested in Professional Development? 

NGPF On-Demand has several Paying for College modules including Federal Student Loan Repayment, Interpreting a Financial Aid Offer, and Alternatives to 4-Year Colleges!

About the Author

Amanda Volz

Amanda joins the NGPF Team with over 20 years of experience teaching personal finance. During that time, she led her students to hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships, won multiple awards, and most importantly, impacted the financial lives of thousands of high school students. Amanda prides herself on being an educational leader and is constantly looking for innovative ways to make the classroom relevant, rigorous, and fun. She is a passionate advocate for financial education and has been a long-time member of the NGPF community. Fun fact - Amanda was NGPF’s first teacher account! When Amanda isn’t working, she enjoys cooking, gardening, and traveling with her husband and two children.