How America Plans for College 2026: Key Stats
New Sallie Mae How America Plans for College 2026 report shows higher savings, earlier planning, and big knowledge gaps about loan interest and aid.
Robert Farrington is America’s Millennial Money Expert® and America’s Student Loan Debt Expert™, and the founder of The College Investor, a personal finance site dedicated to helping millennials escape student loan debt to start investing and building wealth for the future. You can learn more about him on the About Page or on his personal site RobertFarrington.com.
He regularly writes about investing, student loan debt, and general personal finance topics geared toward anyone wanting to earn more, get out of debt, and start building wealth for the future.
He has been quoted in major publications, including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, Today, and more. He is also a regular contributor to Forbes.

New Sallie Mae How America Plans for College 2026 report shows higher savings, earlier planning, and big knowledge gaps about loan interest and aid.

CFPB data shows 90% of cosigner release applications on private student loans get denied. Here’s why — and how to actually remove a cosigner.

New Education Department rules effective July 1, 2026 may block many borrowers from enrolling in the PAYE student loan repayment plan before its 2028 phaseout.

Looking for a credit union private student loan? Learn the three lending models, who actually funds the loan, and how to verify before you sign.

College students expect $80K starting salaries but actual average is $56,153 — a $24K gap that directly affects student loan repayment plans.

Compare the best investment accounts for teens in 2026, including Fidelity Youth, Schwab Teen, Acorns Early, Greenlight, and custodial Roth IRAs.

Private non-profit student loan providers offer lower interest rates and fees. But where can you find them? Here are the state non-profit student loan providers.

Parent PLUS loans will be capped at $20,000/year and $65,000 lifetime starting July 1, and Grad PLUS ends. Here’s what families with fall 2026 students need to know.

Trump’s executive order launches TrumpIRA.gov by 2027, but the $1,000 federal match it promotes was created under Biden’s SECURE 2.0 Act in 2022.

EAB’s 2026 survey shows 67% of students who skipped college blamed cost of living — up from 51% — as AI uncertainty reshapes major and career choices.

The Department of Education will give SAVE borrowers 90 days after July 1 to pick a new plan — or be auto-enrolled in standard repayment. Here are the options.
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