It can be a maze. How does financial aid work? What needs to be paid back? What kinds of financial “gifts” are there? What are they based on?   Who is eligible? When should parents start familiarizing themselves? How do they do it? Who do they talk to? This week, our guest expert gives you straight talk about the options of financing an education. Her advice?  Start learning earlier rather than later. The more you know, the more prepared you are. The more options you can explore. There are even some surprising twists. For example: Students may often get more “gift” money from a private school than a state school. Find out why. Here’s another.  It may be cheaper for a student to live on campus rather than commute. This is a great conversation. Don’t miss it!