while others will separate loans to make it clearer what money you'll borrow. Some schools may detail the cost of attendance in your aid letter, while other schools omit that information.

If you’re going to lend money to a family member or friend you need to think about it first and weigh the pros and cons. There are a lot of factors to consider when you loan money to relatives ...

You’ll need to supply recent bank statements and a “gift letter”—signed by you and the home buyer—that verifies the money isn’t a loan that must be repaid, says Rick Bechtel ...