Mark Kantrowitz

Mark Kantrowitz is a nationally recognized authority on student financial aid, scholarships, student loans, 529 college savings plans, and education tax benefits. Over his career, Kantrowitz has helped more than 100 million students and their families learn how to pay for college. He holds a Bachelor of Science in mathematics and a Bachelor of Science in philosophy from MIT, as well as a Master of Science in computer science from Carnegie Mellon University, where he is also ABD on a PhD in computer science. Kantrowitz is an alumnus of the Research Science Institute program established by Admiral H. G. Rickover.

Kantrowitz created FinAid, a nationally recognized financial aid resource and college planning platform, and has served as publisher of Cappex.com, Edvisors, Fastweb, and FinAid. Earlier in his career, he was employed at Just Research, the MIT Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Bitstream Inc., and the Planning Research Corporation. He serves as president of Cerebly Inc. (formerly MK Consulting Inc.), a consulting firm focused on computer science, artificial intelligence, and statistical and policy analysis. Kantrowitz is the author of five bestselling books about scholarships and financial aid and holds eight patents. His titles include "Secrets to Winning a Scholarship," "Filing the FAFSA," "Twisdoms about Paying for College," "How to Appeal for More College Financial Aid," and "Who Graduates from College, Who Doesn't."

Kantrowitz has testified before Congress and federal and state agencies about student aid on several occasions and has been quoted in more than 10,000 newspaper and magazine articles. He has written for the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Reuters, Huffington Post, U.S. News & World Report, Money Magazine, Forbes, Newsweek, and Time Magazine. He is interviewed regularly by news outlets including CNN, NBC, ABC, CBS, CNBC, Bloomberg, and the Associated Press.

Kantrowitz's work on student financial aid has been recognized with several awards, including the Meritorious Achievement Award from the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the Creative Leadership Award from the California Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, the Excellence in Financial Literacy Education Award from the Institute for Financial Literacy, the Money Hero award from Money Magazine, a special award from the College Board, and the Jefferson Medal from the American Institute for Public Service. He was also named a College Financing Ace by Investment Advisor Magazine.

Kantrowitz serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Student Financial Aid and the editorial advisory board of Bottom Line/Personal, and is a member of the board of trustees of the Center for Excellence in Education. He has written more than 100 student aid policy papers, making him one of the most prolific and trusted voices in the field of higher education finance. His combination of technical expertise in computer science and artificial intelligence and decades of hands-on policy analysis positions him as an authoritative speaker on the intersection of education, finance, and public policy.