January 23 marks the first day of individual tax filing season. This is a great time to talk about the two educational tax credits; The American Opportunity Tax Credit (previously known as the HOPE tax credit) and the Lifetime Learning Credit. These two have very different eligibility requirements, and familiarizing yourself with the credits will be beneficial during tax season.

The new FASFA requires prior-prior year in 2017. This episode we talk about the benefits and disadvantages of the new system. We also discuss tools that make the form much faster.

One fast route to disqualification is failing to follow the directions meticulously, especially when a scholarship has as many directions as this week's feature scholarship. There are a few things to note as you read the directions such as deadline, demographic, and submission specifications. This episode we discuss strategies related to directions and how to tackle this great scholarship opportunity.