What Is FICA Tax And Who Pays It? 2026 Rates And Limits
The College Investorby Robert Farrington20d ago
The short answer: FICA is the tax that comes out of every paycheck before income tax does, and almost everyone with a job pays it.
The College Investor
thecollegeinvestor.comadded August 2026
top 45%Judge Blocks DHS Four-Year Student Visa Cap One Day Before It Started
The College Investorby Robert Farrington21d ago
A federal judge in Boston stopped the Department of Homeland Security from ending “duration of status” for international students, exchange visitors and foreign journalists, one day before the...
How To Do Your Own Taxes In 2027: Free File, Tax Software, Or Paper (And When To Hire A Pro)
The College Investorby Robert Farrington21d ago
Doing your own taxes is way easier than it seems, and for most filers the easiest method is tax software that pulls in your W-2 and 1099s and walks you through the credits.
New York Drops Its Graduation Exam As 45% Of Seniors Fail Basic Math Skills Nationwide
The College Investorby Robert Farrington22d ago
The New York State Board of Regents voted on September 14, 2026 to stop requiring students to pass Regents exams to earn a high school diploma, approving a plan that makes this year’s seniors the...
What Counts As Earned Income? Employment Income Explained For 2026 Taxes
The College Investorby Hannah Rounds22d ago
Employment income is any money you're paid for working. The IRS uses the term earned income for the same thing, and the two words matter because a long list of tax rules, from the Earned Income Tax...
DOJ Sues Hawaii, Utah, Arkansas And D.C. Over In-State Tuition, Reaching 25 States
The College Investorby Robert Farrington23d ago
The Justice Department filed complaints last week against Hawaii, Utah, Arkansas and the District of Columbia over laws that let students without lawful immigration status pay in-state resident...
10 Best Tax Breaks For 2026: Credits, Deductions, And Exclusions Most People Can Use
The College Investorby Hannah Rounds23d ago
The U.S. tax code runs thousands of pages, and most of it defines what counts as income and what doesn't. That's where the tax breaks live.
Today's Best Savings Rates for September 14, 2026: NexBank Leads at 4.15%
The College Investorby Robert Farrington24d ago
High-yield savings account rates held steady to start Septmeber. With the Fed looking at rate increases this week, banks are using this opportunity to capture savers.
DOJ And Education Department Find UC Berkeley Law Violated Title VI In Admissions
The College Investorby Robert Farrington24d ago
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the Education Department’s Office for Civil Rights issued joint findings last week that the University of California, Berkeley School of Law...
Some Colleges Will Help Repay Your Student Loans After Graduation. Here's How It Works
The College Investorby Robert Farrington24d ago
Borrowing for a college education often means making a financial decision today based partly on something you can’t yet know: how difficult loan repayment will be.
Wellesley Makes Tuition Free For Families Earning Under $200,000
The College Investorby Robert Farrington25d ago
Wellesley College announced that families earning under $200,000 a year will pay no tuition beginning in fall 2027, under a policy it is calling the Wellesley Tuition Promise.
FAFSA Deadlines By State For 2027-28
The College Investorby Robert Farrington26d ago
The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) for the 2027-28 school year opens October 1, 2026, and closes June 30, 2028.
New Bill Would Cut Federal Aid To Colleges That Can't Get Students Licensed
The College Investorby Robert Farrington26d ago
Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) introduced companion bills on last month that would block federal student aid from programs whose graduates cannot qualify for the jobs...
The Marriage Tax Penalty In 2026: Every Rule That Costs Married Couples (And The Ones That Help)
The College Investorby Robert Farrington26d ago
Key Points - A marriage penalty happens when a rule's threshold for a married couple is less than double the threshold for a single person.
This Couple Owed $983 On The RAP Student Loan Plan. They Were Billed $1,966
The College Investorby Robert Farrington27d ago
The Question My husband and I both have student loans ($48,000 for me and $52,000 for him). I applied to move to RAP last month after I got a SAVE forbearance notice.
UC San Diego's Remedial Math Class Is Full — Reigniting The Debate Over Test Requirements And Academic Preparedness
The College Investorby Robert Farrington27d ago
Key Points - Both fall 2026 sections of UC San Diego’s MATH 2 (a course covering middle school and early high school material) are full, with 175 students waitlisted.
Best Student Loan Refi Rates September 10, 2026: Credible Leads at 3.65%
The College Investorby Robert Farrington28d ago
Student loan refinance rates have held continued to hold as the Fed has held interest rates steady.
New House Bill Would Make Farm And Ranch Workers Eligible For PSLF
The College Investorby Robert Farrington28d ago
A bipartisan House bill would add farm and ranch work to the list of jobs eligible for Public Service Loan Forgiveness. H.R. 9974, the Young Farmer Success Act, was introduced by Rep.
Why Elite Colleges Are Racing To Offer Free Tuition (And How To Use It In An Aid Appeal)
The College Investorby Mark Kantrowitz28d ago
Key Points - Thirty-three colleges now advertise free tuition to families earning $100,000 or more, and 12 of them set the threshold at $200,000 or higher.
UVM Cuts Tuition By $18,000 For Students From Five New England States
The College Investorby Robert Farrington28d ago
The University of Vermont announced on September 9 a Regional Tuition Break that drops annual tuition to $30,240 for incoming undergraduates who are permanent residents of Connecticut, Maine...