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Picnic Tax Review
December 26, 2025

Picnic Tax Review 2026: Online Tax Prep From CPAs

Picnic Tax is an online platform that connects individuals and businesses with real CPAs who provide personalized tax filing and planning.

odds of winning a scholarship are increasing
December 25, 2025

Are Scholarships Taxable? Maybe… Here’s What To Know

Unlike other forms of generosity, scholarship funds can be taxable to recipients. Learn the rules concerning taxable scholarships.

12 Month CD Rates | Source: The College Investor
December 24, 2025

Best 12-Month CD Rates for December 24, 2025: Up to 4.05%

Compare 1-year CD rates and find the highest yields for December 24, 2025.

Smiling elementary school students with backpacks running down an outdoor school corridor lined with brick walls and white columns. This image illustrates the expanded utility of 529 plans, which can now be used for a broader range of K-12 educational expenses, including tuition, tutoring, and materials, with annual caps rising to $20,000 in 2026. Source: The College Investor
December 24, 2025

529 Plan Expansion 2026: New Rules For K-12 and Career Training

The 529 plan expansion reshapes education savings, covering career training and higher K–12 limits beginning in 2026.

A graphic illustrating the "529 plan penalty" features a large, white trapezoidal weight with the number "529" prominently displayed in dark green. This weight rests heavily on a substantial stack of green bills, symbolizing money or financial savings. The background is a light, clean design with minimalist financial motifs, including three circular dollar signs, plus signs, and triangles in a complementary green and dark gray, subtly reinforcing the theme of financial planning and potential costs. In the upper left corner, the logo for "The College Investor" is visible, including a graduation cap icon. This image effectively visualizes the burden or "penalty" associated with misusing a 529 plan, emphasizing the financial consequences of not adhering to qualified education expenses, as discussed in the accompanying article on avoiding the 529 plan penalty. Source: The College Investor
December 24, 2025

What Is The 529 Plan Penalty And How To Avoid It

A 529 plan helps with higher education expenses so the last thing you want is to be hit with a 529 plan penalty. Find out how to avoid them.

A person in a light blue shirt and khaki pants sits at a light wooden table, actively calculating figures with a silver and black calculator. Their right hand points a finger at the calculator keys, while their left hand rests on a stack of white papers, possibly bills or financial documents. To the left of the calculator, a small stack of US dollar bills, likely twenty-dollar denominations, is visible, suggesting money management or financial planning. The background is softly blurred but shows a white sofa, indicating a home or office setting. This image visually represents the process of managing finances and calculating costs, directly relating to the article's focus on understanding and comparing student loan rates to save borrowers money over time. Source: The College Investor
December 23, 2025

Best Student Loan Rates for December 23, 2025: Low as 2.75%

Compare today’s student loan rates and see which lenders offer the lowest APRs for December 23, 2025.

This abstract and minimalist graphic features key elements related to student loans and tax refunds, designed to capture attention for an article discussing whether student loans will take tax refunds in 2025. On the left, a stylized hand with an open palm suggests receiving or giving, while above it, a yellow circle frames a credit card icon with a dollar sign, representing financial transactions and refunds. To the right, a classic white building with columns, outlined in yellow, symbolizes a bank or government institution, particularly relevant to federal student loans and the Treasury Offset Program. Black and white plus signs are scattered throughout, adding a modern, infographic feel. The bottom right features a dark blue section with a yellow outlined triangle and white dots, providing visual contrast. The "COLLEGE INVESTOR" logo is prominently displayed in the bottom left, reinforcing the article's source and focus on financial guidance for students. Source: The College Investor
December 23, 2025

Will Student Loans Take My Tax Refund in 2026?

Planning on getting a tax refund? If you’re in default on your federal student loans, your refund could be at risk. Here’s what you need to know.

Passenger jet plane preparing for takeoff on an airport runway against a vibrant sunset sky. This image symbolizes the journey of international graduate students pursuing education abroad, highlighting the complex financial planning, visa uncertainties, and funding decisions they must navigate before "taking off" on their academic careers.
December 23, 2025

International Graduate Student Financial Aid Options in 2026

International graduate education in 2026 brings higher costs, new loan options, and visa challenges.

A stylized illustration on a light blue background depicts an open, bright yellow envelope emerging from the screen of a silver laptop. Inside the envelope, a white document is visible with the word "ACCEPTED" prominently displayed in bold green letters, symbolizing success in college applications or scholarship awards. The laptop's screen shows the bottom portion of the envelope, while its keyboard and trackpad are detailed with gray keys, suggesting an online application or notification process. In the lower-left corner, the white text "THE COLLEGE INVESTOR" is clearly visible, identifying the brand and reinforcing the image's relevance to financial aid and higher education. This image visually represents the positive outcome of using college scholarship search websites to find and secure financial assistance, directly supporting the article's focus on helping students pay for college by highlighting the rewarding feeling of receiving an acceptance or scholarship notification. Source: The College Investor
December 23, 2025

10 Best College Scholarship Search Websites

We break down the best college scholarship search websites to help you find legit scholarships that you have a high chance of winning.

Best Savings Accounts Daily | Source: The College Investor
December 22, 2025

Best High-Yield Savings Rates for December 22, 2025: Up to 5%

Find the high-yield savings account that can help you earn the most interest on your money.

Millionaire Neighbor
December 22, 2025

5 Things Your Millionaire Neighbor Isn’t Telling You

Here are the 5 things your millionaire neighbor isn’t telling you about getting rich, and you likely already know one living by you.

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A dynamic infographic illustration titled "The College Investor: Best Side Hustles" features a stylized figure of a man in a black shirt on the lower center, gesturing with an open hand towards a list of icons on a light blue panel on the right. The background is a mix of white and light blue, adorned with scattered light blue polka dots and minimalist black line art shapes like plus signs and triangles. The man's gesture highlights three black icons arranged vertically: a funnel, a camera, and a chef's hat, each accompanied by five blue stars, suggesting high ratings for these side hustle categories. This visual aims to help readers identify worthwhile side hustles with high earning potential, good scheduling flexibility, and growth opportunities, tying into the article's focus on effective ways to earn extra money to achieve financial goals like paying off student loans or saving for retirement.

20 Best Side Hustles of 2026: Ranked by Earnings, Flexibility, and Growth

Photograph of the historic Vassar College, a private, coeducational, liberal arts college in the town of Poughkeepsie, New York. Founded in 1861 by Matthew Vassar

30 Most Expensive Colleges in 2026: Tuition Tops $72,000 at Every School on the List

A man with blonde hair, dressed in a white collared shirt, sits relaxed on a wooden bench with his hands clasped behind his head, gazing out over a calm body of water at sunset. A silver laptop is visible next to him on the bench, suggesting he has just finished working or is taking a break while his investments generate passive income. The warm, soft light of the setting sun creates a tranquil atmosphere, emphasizing the freedom and peace of mind associated with achieving financial independence through passive income streams. This image perfectly illustrates the article's core message about earning money without continuous active effort, highlighting the desired outcome of strategic monetary or time investments.

30 Passive Income Ideas To Build Wealth In 2026

IRS Refund Schedule

IRS Tax Refund Calendar And Schedule 2026 (Updated)

529 Plan By Age

How Much Should You Have In A 529 Plan By Age

SAI Chart EFC Chart

2026 – 2027 Student Aid Index (SAI) Chart And Calculator

Side Hustle Ideas

54 Side Hustle Ideas To Make Money Fast

Student Loan Forgiveness Programs

How To Get Student Loan Forgiveness [Full Program List]

wait to repay your student loans

For-Profit College Student Loan Forgiveness List

Net Worth of Millennials

Average Net Worth Of Millennials By Age

Ultimate Guides

How To Fill Out The FAFSA | Source: The College Investor

How To Fill Out The FAFSA: 2026-27 Step-By-Step Guide

Student Loan Forgiveness Programs By State

The Full List Of Student Loan Forgiveness Programs By State

529 Plan Guide

529 Plans: The Ultimate Guide To College Savings Plans

Student Loans and Financial Aid By State

Student Loan And Financial Aid Programs By State

Student Loan Advice

The Definitive Guide To Student Loan Debt

Latest Research

MINNEAPOLIS/USA - July 23: Tate Labratory on the campus of the University of Minnesota. The University of Minnesota is a university in Minneapolis and St. Paul, MN and the 6th largest university in the USA.

Why Is College So Expensive? 5 Forces Behind Rising Tuition Costs

EVANSTON, IL,USA - JUNE 20, 2021 - Entrance sign and gardens to Northwestern University.

Are Expensive Colleges Worth It? New Data on Price, Selectivity, and Graduation Rates

Profile views of a young woman and a young man facing each other, set against a grey background adorned with hand-drawn lightbulbs. A single bright yellow lightbulb glows centrally between them, symbolizing the realization or "bright idea" regarding the shifting gender dynamics in higher education. This visual metaphor accompanies an analysis of the growing gender gap in college degree attainment, where women now outpace men in earning Associate's, Bachelor's, Master's, and Doctoral degrees. Source: The College Investor

Gender Gap in College Degrees: 50 Years of Data Explained

Institutional Merit Grants

Who Gets Merit Based Scholarships At Private Colleges?

This image depicts a stylized graphic representing college education and its perceived value, set against a dynamic background of gold and black shapes. A prominent white circular icon in the center showcases a black graduation cap with a tassel, positioned above a rolled-up diploma tied with a ribbon, symbolizing academic achievement and a college degree. To the left, the top of a person's head and shoulders are visible, suggesting a student or individual considering their educational path. The background features various abstract shapes, including long, rounded rectangles in black and gold, smaller white dots, and thin diagonal lines, creating a sense of movement and modern relevance. This visual reinforces the article's theme about Americans weighing in on college costs, education policy, and the worth of a college degree in 2025, particularly given that public sentiment on college value is currently low.

New Poll Reveals How Americans Feel About College

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