(Part 2 in a Series on the College Board’s 2012 Trends in College Pricing & Trends in Student Aid)
By Joan Marshall
Executive Director, College Savings Plans of Maryland
November 9, 2012

I am often asked by parents about whether their college savings will reduce their children’s future financial aid. My initial response is that – with student loan debt today surpassing credit card debt – it is generally in a family’s best interests to save whatever amount they can afford for college in order to reduce or maybe even eliminate the need to take on burdensome levels of future student loan debt.