Part 2/3: The Real Truth About Financial Aid with Mark Salisbury, PhD

Higher ed finance expert, Mark Salisbury, pulls back the curtain on how the financial aid system really works and why it looks nothing like what most families expect. From the FAFSA to the CSS Profile, he explains how colleges use the data families voluntarily provide not to help them afford school, but to calculate the minimum discount needed to get them to enroll. He breaks down how institutional aid is front-loaded to attract freshmen while costs quietly balloon in later years, how the private scholarship industry profits off parental anxiety, and how misleading award letters use "magic math" and jargon to obscure the true price of attendance. Using real examples from schools like Howard University, DePaul, and Loyola Chicago, he shows exactly how these tactics play out in practice. The conversation also covers practical strategies families can use to fight back, including the importance of early planning, understanding who should and shouldn't rush to file the FAFSA, and why appealing your financial aid offer is one of the most powerful and underused tools available to consumers. Whether you're a parent, student, or school counselor, this episode is an essential primer on navigating one of the most lopsided marketplaces in America.

You can listen to Part 2/3: The Real Truth About Financial Aid with Mark Salisbury, PhD online on Radio and Podcast. Open the player on this page to stream the available audio.

Part 2/3: The Real Truth About Financial Aid with Mark Salisbury, PhD is an episode from Next Gen Personal Finance by Next Gen Personal Finance.

This episode is 44:35 long.

This episode was published on Apr 16, 2026.

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