The College Investor
@thecollegeinvestor.com
The intersection of money and education, from saving and paying for college, to financial aid, student loans, and other personal finance topics.
Rice University raised its free tuition threshold to $200,000 in family income, up from $140,000. Families under $100,000 get tuition, fees, room and board covered with no loans. Starts with fall 2027 entrants. Sticker price is ~$92,650/yr. #highered #studentloans #collegecosts
Rice University Expands Free Tuition To Families Earning Up To $200,000
Rice University now offers free tuition to families earning up to $200,000 and full room and board under $100,000, starting with fall 2027 students. (147 characters)
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High-yield savings rates as of August 5: NexBank 4.15%, CIT Bank 4.10%, Always bank 4.10%, Pibank 4.10%, FVCbank 4.01%. FDIC national average is 0.38%. Updated daily across roughly 50 banks. #PersonalFinance #Savings
Best High-Yield Savings Accounts In August 2026
We break down the best high yield savings accounts for 2026 so that you can earn the highest interest on your money easily.
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Short-term rates as of August 2026: high-yield savings up to 4.15% APY, 1-year CDs 4.25%, 1-year T-bills 3.89% (state tax exempt), money market funds 3.6%-3.7%, I bonds 4.26%. Which one fits which timeline, and how each is taxed: #PersonalFinance #Investing
10 Short Term Investments For Young Investors
Here are the ten best short term investments right now for young investors looking to invest cash in the stock market or other place.
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Education Secretary McMahon asked every U.S. college to publish a public reform statement by the end of 2026 — seven questions covering admissions transparency, campus speech, and whether degrees let graduates repay their loans. No enforcement mechanism attached. #StudentLoans #HigherEd
Linda McMahon Issues National Call to Action to Colleges as Trust Hits 38%
Education Secretary Linda McMahon asked every U.S. college to publish a public reform statement by the end of 2026, answering seven questions on cost and merit.
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Federal student loans: 6.52% undergrad, 8.07% grad, 9.07% Parent PLUS. Private lenders are advertising fixed rates as low as 2.09% — but those go to excellent credit, and College Ave's actual range tops out at 17.99%. Federal first. Private for the gap. #StudentLoans #PersonalFinance
Today's Best Student Loan Rates for August 4, 2026: Sallie Mae Leads At 2.09% APR
Compare today’s student loan rates and see which lenders offer the lowest APRs for August 2026.
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Legacy admissions fell from 49% of four-year colleges in 2015 to 24% in 2025 — and 86% of schools dropped it voluntarily. Six senators just introduced the MERIT Act to finish the job through accreditation standards. #highered #collegeadmissions #policy
Bipartisan Bill Would Tie College Accreditation To Ending Legacy Admissions
Six senators introduced the MERIT Act to end legacy and donor admissions preferences by tying college accreditation to the practice. Here's what it does.
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Most homeowners policies extend only ~10% of personal property coverage to a student in a dorm — and once they move off-campus, usually nothing at all. Add a $500–$2,000 deductible and "covered" starts meaning very little. #PersonalFinance #CollegeParents
Mom's Homeowners Policy Covers My Dorm... Right? What To Know
Many families don't realize that dorm rooms require special renters insurance policies that many normal insurance companies don't offer.
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The FDIC says the average savings account pays 0.38% APY. The best ones are paying 4.15%. On $10,000, that's ~$20/year vs. ~$400/year. Same FDIC insurance either way. Today's full list: thecollegeinvestor.com/85600/best-h... #PersonalFinance #Savings
Today's Best Savings Rates for August 3, 2026: Everbank and NexBank Lead at 4.15%
Compare today’s top high-yield savings accounts — best APYs, fees, and FDIC-insured options, updated August 3, 2026.
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Six universities eliminated supplemental essays for 2026-27: Georgia Tech, UNC, UGA, Washington, Miami, Tulane. UVA did it first and saw applications jump 37% while its acceptance rate fell to 12.4%. Fewer essays, longer odds. #CollegeAdmissions #HigherEd
Georgia Tech, UNC, Tulane and Miami Cut Supplemental Essays for 2026-27
Georgia Tech, UNC, UGA, Miami, Tulane and UW dropped supplemental essays for 2026-27. See the full list and why admissions offices cut them.
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Last month to take advantage of the CIT Platinum Savings boosted rate: thecollegeinvestor.com/85012/30-day...
30 Days Left: CIT Bank's 4.10% APY Promo Ends August 31
CIT Bank's 4.10% Platinum Savings APY Boost ends August 31, 2026. Here's what's at stake if you wait — and what happens after the deadline.
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MOHELA borrowers who owed $0 and sat in forbearance on Friday woke up Saturday to past-due balances and some marked 12 months delinquent. StudentAid still shows forbearance. #StudentLoans thecollegeinvestor.com/85563/mohela...
MOHELA Sends Default Warnings To Borrowers Who Owed $0 Last Week
MOHELA borrowers report false past-due balances and delinquency notices after forbearances vanished, with SAVE plan transition deadlines looming.
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Howard unenrolled 502 freshmen over a July 10 deadline. Its own site lists August 3. Its payment plan didn't collect until July 15. Federal aid couldn't disburse until August 7. 200+ have been readmitted. #StudentLoans #HigherEd
Howard University Reversed 40% Of Its Own Unenrollment Decisions In Nine Days
Howard University reversed 40% of its unenrollment decisions after cutting 502 freshmen. What families should check on their own student accounts now.
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Why the Education Department fight is about to stall: House GOP: 10 bills to permanently move programs to Treasury and Labor. Senate: 13-9 committee vote to block 4 transfers. Both chambers need 60 in the Senate. Neither has 60. #EducationPolicy #StudentLoans
Bipartisan Senate Bill Would Block 4 Education Department Office Transfers
The Senate HELP Committee advanced S. 5046 in a 13-9 vote, blocking the Education Department from transferring four offices to other federal agencies.
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No, moving student loans to Treasury does not void your Master Promissory Note. The March 2026 agreement says referrals are "for collection purposes only" and do not transfer ownership of the debt. thecollegeinvestor.com/35697/master... #StudentLoans #HigherEd
Master Promissory Notes (MPN): What To Know
Master Promissory Notes (MPN) are legally-binding documents that all federal student loan borrowers must sign. Learn why they're important!
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Texas public colleges can now consider Classic Learning Test scores for applicants who miss automatic admission. Formal rules land by Jan 2027. #CollegeAdmissions #HigherEd
Texas Green-Lights CLT Scores For Some College Applicants Starting Now
Texas public colleges can now consider Classic Learning Test scores for some applicants.
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The IRS can seize your entire joint tax refund over your spouse's defaulted student loans, back child support, or old tax debt. Form 8379 (Injured Spouse Allocation) gets your share back — but only if you file it, every year. Up to 3 years retroactively. #Taxes #StudentLoans
Form 8379 Injured Spouse Allocation: What To Know Before You File Your Taxes To Prevent Offets
If your spouse owes past-due taxes or has delinquent Federal student loan debt, check out Form 8379 for injured spouse to get a partial refund.
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ED's Inspector General: the office overseeing federal student loan servicers has zero employees left. FSA fell from 1,446 to ~861 staff. #StudentLoans #HigherEd
Education Department OIG: 32 Federal Student Aid Offices Have Zero Employees Left
An Education Department OIG report found a 40% workforce cut, with 32 Federal Student Aid suboffices (including loan servicer oversight) left with no staff.
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Treasury's FinCEN issued its first alert on federal student aid fraud — telling banks to flag suspicious refund deposits. Fraud rings enroll "ghost students" using stolen IDs, sometimes children's, to collect aid refunds. $1B in fraud blocked in 2025 alone. #StudentLoans #IdentityTheft #HigherEd
Treasury Alert Targets $120 Billion In Federal Student Aid As Fraud Rings Use AI
FinCEN issued an alert directing banks to flag federal student aid fraud, targeting ghost student and straw student schemes draining $120 billion in aid.
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Financial aid directors took lender stock, consulting fees, and spa days. That's why student loan disclosure rules exist. A Senate bill would exempt state loan programs from them, as Grad PLUS ends. #StudentLoans #HigherEd
Murkowski Bill Would Exempt State Student Loans From Post-Scandal Financial Aid Rules
New Senate bill S.4097 would exempt state student loan programs from preferred lender arrangement rules Congress passed after the 2007 financial aid scandal.
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The battle for the lowest student loan rate continues, with Abe Student Loans offering 2.18% APR: #studentloans
Today's Best Student Loan Rates for July 28, 2026: Abe Leads At 2.18% APR
Compare today’s student loan rates and see which lenders offer the lowest APRs for July 2026.
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51.7 million U.S. kids (91.7% of K-12 students) qualify for scholarships under the new federal Education Freedom Tax Credit starting Jan. 1, 2027. But 20.8 million live in states that haven't opted in yet. #SchoolChoice #TaxCredit thecollegeinvestor.com/85186/nearly...
New Report: 51.7 Million Kids Qualify For The Education Freedom Tax Credit
New report: 51.7 million kids (91.7% of K-12 students) qualify for Education Freedom Tax Credit scholarships starting 2027. See if your state opted in.
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Most college refund windows close entirely within about a month of the start date. A withdrawal for illness or a mental health crisis after that usually means losing the full semester payment. Tuition insurance costs 1% of the bill and can only be bought before classes start. #HigherEd #College
You Insure the Phone, the Car, and the Spring Break Trip. Why Not the $30,000 Check?
Families pay for insurance for cars and vacations, but tuition insurance may be the most valuable thing to insure.
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National average savings rate: 0.38% APY. Best on the board today: 4.15% at EverBank. CIT, Alwaysbank and PiBank all at 4.10%. Same FDIC insurance, ~11x the yield. #PersonalFinance #Savings thecollegeinvestor.com/85137/best-h...
Today's Best Savings Rates for July 27, 2026: Everbank Leads at 4.15%
Compare today’s top high-yield savings accounts — best APYs, fees, and FDIC-insured options, updated July 27, 2026.
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9.5 million federal student loan borrowers are now in default — 1 in 5, and $233.3 billion owed. Welch and Courtney are pushing Congress a second time this year to set every federal loan to 0% interest, funded by a trust fund modeled on the Railroad Retirement Board. #studentloans
Welch, Courtney Push Congress Again to Zero Out All Federal Student Loan Interest
Welch and Courtney are pushing Congress again to pass the Student Loan Interest Elimination Act, which would set all federal student loan interest to 0%.
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Private student loan rates right now: Fixed: 2.18% - 17.99% Variable: 3.03% - 17.99% That top end isn't a typo. Same lender, same loan, seven times the cost depending on your credit. Shop at least 3 lenders.
10 Best Private Student Loan Lenders For College In July 2026
We share our picks for the best private student loan lenders to pay for college in 2026, including choices from Sallie Mae, ElFi, College Ave and more.
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The myth: private student loans can never be discharged in bankruptcy. The receipt: SoFi's 2026 SEC filing says its private loans "may be discharged in bankruptcy in certain situations." Whether yours qualifies depends on how it was made. #studentloans #personalfinance
SoFi Tells the SEC Its Private Student Loans "May Be Discharged in Bankruptcy"
SoFi's 2026 SEC filing says its private student loans "may be discharged in bankruptcy in certain situations" — cutting against a costly borrower myth.
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The Dept of Education is emailing IDR applicants that an error produced incorrect payment amounts — and they must reapply. If your servicer never confirmed processing, your application was canceled. Check "My Activity" at StudentAid. #StudentLoans #IDR #SAVEplan
IDR Payment Errors Force Borrowers To Reapply Weeks Before SAVE Deadline
The Department of Education is emailing IDR applicants that an error produced incorrect payment amounts and they must reapply. Here's how to check your status.
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Registration to rush a sorority at Alabama: $375. At NC State, a fraternity rush costs $70. Dues range from ~$820/semester at Clemson to ~$4,800 at Alabama. Financial aid doesn't cover any of it. Full 2026 breakdown: #GreekLife #CollegeCosts
How Much Does It Cost To Join A Sorority Or Fraternity
The cost to join a sorority or fraternity can be high. There are lots of extra costs beyond just paying dues, luckily, there are ways to help pay for it.
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Sallie Mae dropped their lowest rate to 2.19% APR today, matching the rates at Ascent, College Ave, and Earnest. We expect to see the major lenders battling out for market leader over the next few week. #studentloans
10 Best Private Student Loan Lenders For College In July 2026
We share our picks for the best private student loan lenders to pay for college in 2026, including choices from Sallie Mae, ElFi, College Ave and more.
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