The Art of Paying for College:

How much will college cost for all of your students (cost of attendance, not just tuition…including inflation)?

How much have you saved for college?

How much can you pay during college years?

Do you qualify for financial aid? If so, how much? Is it free money?
If not, do you want to learn this now or wait until the last minute after you’ve pinned your hopes on covering most of the costs by gift aid??

How much of the aid package is loans & work study?

How much needs to borrowed? What are the limits…rates…terms?

My philosophy is simple: "Know the rules of the game before you play!"

Fill out the “what will college really cost us?” form. My planning and consultation fees are $250/hour. However, I will waive my phone consulting fee if I have the necessary financial information and “key stats” on your student to that we can have a productive phone appointment. I am willing to spend 20 minutes with you on the phone to provide answers to important questions.

If it makes sense to have a personal meeting after that phone consultation, I can show you how to successfully prepare for your child’s college education. We can determine at that meeting if engaging our professional college planning services is a win-win.

I have developed an unsurpassed track record of advising and assisting most parents of college-bound students to save thousands of dollars per year…some tens of thousands, while matching your student’s entry with the right college fit. My associates and I have lots of professional experience doing this so that nothing is left to chance.

At the same time, just because I am good at helping parents get money they would not have received if they managed the process entirely on their own, I am also good at breaking the news to some families like “let’s be realistic, you’re not getting grants…your student is talented and you have a lot to be proud of, but he or she is only going to get a loan for $xxxx or a small scholarship for $YYY…or your student isn’t going to get any scholarship, grants or work study and you need to pay cash as you go”.

In other words, I will tell you the truth before it’s too late!

So you ask, “how do I look broke on paper…I certainly feel broke?” Go to the “what will college really cost us?” form to help get those answers. This is why “paying for college can be an art”. The numbers don’t lie, but whether we can create a better situation with your numbers based on what your income/assets mean to the “financial aid powers” it will be valuable to know your exact total college costs one or two years in advance of high school graduation!

Do you want to know what to budget now or wait until your student’s last month of high school to figure out what college is going to cost out-of-pocket?

Complete our financial questionnaire and call today to set up a complimentary phone appointment. Our objective in 20 minutes:

• Provide cost of attendance (COA) for top 2 college choices.
• Determine your Expected Family Contribution (EFC)…and to see if it can it be “improved” for financial aid?
• Explain what types of financial aid, if any, can you expect?
• Review your inevitable out-of-pocket expenses