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Each spring, high school juniors eagerly start their college search. Helicopter parents everywhere are putting on the pressure to find the perfect school, write the perfect college essays, and get perfect grades. While the Universal Application and the Common Application have made it easier for students to apply to more than one college through a single application, the stress is still compounded as individual colleges often require supplemental essays where students are expected to showcase their personality and life's achievements.

When does it all become too much? We took some time to interview Stacy Crooks, Director of the College Planning Center of Rhode Island, to answer five common questions about college planning.

If you take a step back and examine the full financial aid process, from FAFSA to repayment, you’re faced with a dizzying array of information and options. Important choices, unknowable outcomes, and enough industry language and confusing acronyms to make your head spin!

If you've borrowed money to pay for college, at some point you may want to consider refinancing those student loans. For some borrowers, refinancing offers an opportunity to save money and better manage their budget. For others, it may not be the best choice. Read on to help decide whether refinancing is for you.

If you applied for college financial aid this year, chances are you were awarded federal student loans in your financial aid award letter. Before you accept the loans in your award - or look into other borrowing options outside of what was awarded to you - there are some things you need to know about college borrowing. Here are our top 10 tips you can’t afford to miss.

Financial aid awards aren’t written in stone. They are designed by the school to meet your needs while balancing the needs of other students, and sometimes they aren’t what you had hoped for. But never fear, if you feel like you need more aid to make a school work for your family budget, you can always try to appeal the award. It doesn't always work, but if you have good reason and documents to support your request, schools are usually willing to take a second look.