How Families With High EFC And No Savings Can Reduce College Costs

How Families with High EFC and No Savings Can Reduce College Costs

Sometimes, despite the best of intentions and careful planning, a family finds itself staring down unexpected college expenses. After completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), families are provided with an estimated family contribution or EFC. And sometimes, that number far outweighs anything a family has saved toward college costs. And even worse, though their students may meet the requirements for admittance, they don’t meet the requirements for obtaining a sizable merit scholarship. While it can certainly be…

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NextGen: New Help On The Way For Student Borrowers

NextGen: New Help on the Way for Student Borrowers

It’s no secret that students spend a lot of time dealing with student loans. In fact, U.S. residents carried more than $1.5 trillion in student loan debt as of September 2018, according to the Federal Reserve. Students often juggle multiple loans issued through different loan servicers and with varying repayment terms. Repayment issues aren’t uncommon. The delinquent rate on student loans was greater than 10% in 2017. But help may be on the way with the roll-out of the U.S. Department of Education’s new…

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Enough Is Enough With Misleading Award Letters!

Enough Is Enough With Misleading Award Letters!

Yes, I’m getting angry about this issue, and so should you! After more than 10 years helping families navigate their college award letters, I have to ask: why are over a third of colleges and universities still hiding the real cost of attendance? As college students all over the country scrutinize financial aid award letters from schools that have accepted them, trying to compare costs, it soon becomes clear that the information in these letters is anything but clear, and…

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Having Problems With Your Student Loan Servicing Company?

Having Problems With Your Student Loan Servicing Company?

A lot of students will be entering a student loan forgiveness program in the not too distant future. Some parents have also taken Parent Plus Loans with a plan to pay it back under the Income Contingent Repayment Program. Unfortunately, many will also encounter difficulties with their student loan servicing company. Here are some important resources that you may want to keep on file. Where to Go for Help Realizing that you’re having trouble with a federal student loan can…

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Help Your College Students Manage Their Budget

Help Your College Students Manage Their Budget

Chances are good you’re not living like a college student anymore. So it’s likely that your children aren’t used to living like one either. One of the roles parents take on when helping teenagers transition academically from high school to college is also helping them transition financially. It’s a time of tremendous growth for everyone, and with growth often comes growing pains. But there are ways to help kids avoid breaking their budget. Have a Heart to Heart, Often Sending…

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How MCPT Can Help With Your FAFSA

How MCPT Can Help With Your FAFSA

My College Planning Team's Chief College Funding Strategist, Jim Slowik, discusses how MCPT can help with your FAFSA. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kfd2xHqr7b8&t=4s Need Help With Your FAFSA? My College Planning Team's Financial Team can assist you with understanding what you can expect to pay for your student's right fit college and strategize with you on the best ways to reduce your bottom line, as well as filling out your FAFSA forms. Contact Jim Slowik for more information or click here to schedule a free…

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The Cost Of A Wrong Fit College Education

The Cost of a Wrong Fit College Education

My College Planning Team's Chief College Funding Strategist, Jim Slowik, discusses the disadvantage of choosing a wrong fit college for your student. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-2uMCiht5A Need Help With the Figuring out How to Pay for College? My College Planning Team's Financial Team can assist you with understanding what you can expect to pay for your student's right fit college and strategize with you on the best ways to reduce your bottom line. Contact Jim Slowik for more information or click here to schedule…

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Parents And The “Soft Launch” To College

Parents and the “Soft Launch” to College

Things Parents Know Generally speaking, adolescents are shortsighted, focused on the immediate present rather than the future (that could be weeks or months away!), unwilling or unable to plan ahead, and are challenged to see the long-term consequences of their actions and choices. The Research Says it is Normal The maturation process - including development of the prefrontal cortex paired with hormonal changes - is influenced by a variety of external factors such as parent education, socioeconomic status, environmental conditions,…

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New Tax Bill Brings Good News

New Tax Bill Brings Good News

Most of the news coming out on how the new tax bill affects families and colleges has been fragmented and tainted with political bias. This an attempt to provide a bottom line and more objective look at how the final bill will affect college families and colleges. EFFECT ON COLLEGE FAMILIES On balance, the lobbying efforts from colleges, universities, graduate students, and families has resulted in a tax bill that is mostly good news for most college families. Keeps the…

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Community College: Is It Right For You?

Community College: Is It Right for You?

Community college or four-year college? The idea of attending a four-year college sounds awesome, doesn’t it? You get to do your thing whenever you want. You are on your own. You are making your own way. But let’s face it, a four-year college is not for everyone. Community college often is the right choice for a student, whether it is a short-term choice, a path to an associates or two-year degree, or part of a more affordable financial plan. Why…

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