From U.S. News & World Report, here are eight rules for maximizing merit scholarships (as opposed to need-based aid).

Jane J. Kim of the Wall Street Journal offers some short- and long-term strategies for even upper middle class families seeking financial aid.

For financial-aid purposes, the most crucial year is the one that begins on Jan. 1 while your child is a junior in high school—the “base income year.” During that time, and throughout college, income earned or received is counted more heavily than assets in the financial-aid formulas. Try to avoid taking retirement distributions or realizing large capital gains during that period. Load up on contributions to retirement plans before the base and college years, because assets in those accounts aren’t counted in the aid formulas.

Some families may want to defer converting an IRA to a Roth IRA, even though new laws now make it possible for wealthier taxpayers to take advantage of the conversion. Many financial-aid offices may use the income generated from the conversion to reduce the students’ eligibility for need-based aid—unless parents appeal the offer through professional judgment.

For more advice, continue reading here.

In the U.S. News and World Report, Kim Clark lists 10 factors to consider when determining whether a college’s financial aid offer will be large enough to meet your needs.