Understanding Financial Aid for College: A Guide

September 4, 2025 – In a U.S. News & World Report article about the types of financial aid available and how to families can apply, Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance at Bright Horizons College Coach, offers practical advice on maximizing gift aid, the differences between institutional and state/federal aid deadlines and the fact that families have the option to negotiate for additional merit funding.

"Those local scholarships are good ones to pursue because the competition is much more restricted," says Shannon Vasconcelos, senior director of college finance at Bright Horizons College Coach, a college admissions consulting firm. "You're only competing with students in your town or your high school. They tend to be easier to win than some big national scholarships that you find online."

Read the full article here.