Interested in Conquering (and Maximizing) Your Financial Aid Awards?

Our New, FREE video workshop will unveil little known financial aid secrets to help you get the most out of your applications!

We here at the College Resource Center realize this is a hectic and often stressful time of year. As if holidays, get-togethers, cooking and shopping frenzies weren't enough? Now college financial aid deadlines are quickly approaching, and those complicated, money-saving applications are not to be forgotten either. Overwhelming? To say the least! 

Whether you are currently applying for aid, or will be in the years to come, we are making available a FREE video workshop on managing financial aid applications that will help you understand the full process and what you need to do to keep focused and get the job done right the first time! 

This workshop will provide insight into:

·         Why "the early bird gets the worm" concept applies for maximizing awards.

·         How to understand the "lingo" and avoid common mistakes that could cost you.

·         Why clearly understanding the whole process will help you get the job done.

·         How you can to gain control over your awards offers. 

We hope that you will take advantage of this timely resource that will make your financial aid applications (and maybe even your holidays) a little less stressful!

Click here to get access to these helpful college financial aid strategies!

Pass it on! If you know anyone who might also benefit from this information, feel free to share it!

Common College Admissions Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

Applying to college can be a complicated process. But, the reality is, if you take your time and do things right you can get through it. Applications should not be completed overnight and the entire college search and application process should begin well before the fall of your senior year. The keys are planning and organization.

Even if you’re careful though, there are many different mistakes you might make that could ruin your chances of being admitted into your top choice college. We’ve come across a lot working with our students. Here are a few common application and admissions mistakes that we hope you won’t succumb to…

Forgetting Supplements:  Every college has a general admissions application. In addition, some colleges will also ask for a Supplemental Application, or Supplement. On the Supplement, your college may ask additional questions about your family, intended major or even housing preference. They may also ask you to write an additional essay.  Make sure that you do not forget to submit this! Missing a supplement means an incomplete file, and incomplete files have no chance for admission.

Missing Deadlines:  Whatever you do, do not miss an application deadline. Colleges are not flexible with this. Most applications will become available in August before senior year. If you can, make sure to have everything submitted to your colleges at least two weeks prior to the deadline. This will ensure that the college receives everything in time. Missing deadlines shows that you are irresponsible, not an attractive quality for a prospective freshman student.

Not Managing Social Media Accounts Properly:  Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, you name it, social media is everywhere and no one is more adept at it than teenagers. Unfortunately, it is also teenagers who most often mismanage their accounts. Students should not assume that colleges won’t see your Facebook page, Twitter feed, or other accounts. Admissions staff may not have the time to actively seek out all of their applicants to check their Facebook pages.  However, if there’s a red flag on your application or something questionable about you, they’ll check it out for sure.  You should expect that if there’s anything public, it’s possible that admissions may see it and you should do everything you can to clean up your profile before you get into the admissions process. 

One admissions rep at a recent event shared the story about how a student had been admitted to their college and he had posted on his Facebook about how he had gotten in and about all the drugs and alcohol he would engage in over the next four years.  Someone at the school saw it and notified admissions.  They rescinded his application.  Colleges are trying to create safe and supportive residential communities, so anything that would be concerning to the community well-being is a huge issue.

In the end, you should be comfortable letting anyone (your mom, your grandmother, an admissions officer, potential employer) see your page. You don’t want the reason you were denied (or application rescinded) to your number one school to be because of a status you posted or a picture you were tagged in.

Not Applying to Reach or Safety Schools:  Don’t limit yourself unnecessarily by only applying to schools where you are on target with their requirements. Apply to a variety of schools. This means safety schools, target schools, and reach schools. Safety schools are colleges where you have a very good chance of getting in because your academic profile is clearly stronger than most of the applicant pool.  Safety schools make for a good “Plan B” and are likely to award Merit-Based Aid since you will be a sought after applicant. You also shouldn’t limit yourself by not applying to reach schools. Reach schools are schools where your academic record and profile may be weaker than what the college is typically looking for. But, there’s not always a guarantee you won’t get in. Some schools look at special qualities and certain characteristics when admitting students (like a legacy student).  Or, if you are a highly recruited athlete, a first class Cello player, and it just so happens the college needs to fill the spot of lead Cellist, they could come to you. You just never know. Even if your GPA and test scores aren’t as high as they need to be, a spectacular and moving essay could blow the admissions officer away. Astound an admissions officer during an interview, too, and those test scores being low might not matter anymore. Keep your options open.

Using The Wrong College Name in the Application Essay: This one kills me.  If you write an essay for a specific college (usually in the Supplemental Application where you are allowed to name a college by its name) and decide to copy and paste the essay to use for another college (which you shouldn’t in the first place), remember to change the college name!  Unfortunately, many students will just copy and paste the essay and use it for another college and forget to change the name… so the essay with the line, “I can’t wait to join the rest of the freshman class at UMass Amherst in the fall” goes to UNH.  Admissions officers hate this.  It shows that you aren’t truly interested or invested in the college, not enough to write a separate essay for that college and not enough to proof read your application or re-read your essay before submitting.

Admissions applications aren’t always easy, but it doesn’t mean that they have to be difficult. The more you know about the process and the more research you do, the better off you’ll be. Using tools like our Admissions Assistance component or our Student Positioning component can make the process a breeze and really help to eliminate unnecessary stress. Take our advice here and you’ll be well on your way to admission as your top choice college. Until next time, best of success!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with the College Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a Bachelor’s degree in Human Development from Boston College and a Master’s degree and license in School Guidance Counseling.  She also holds a certificate in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

Tips for Students Headed to Grad School

As a recent Master's Degree graduate, I'd like to share some tips for students headed off to graduate school or even just considering it.

1. Be prepared to not have a free moment. Working and going to graduate school part-time evenings and weekends is nothing like your undergraduate experience. You have to really want this and be truly dedicated. It's incredibly hard to manage your work life, school work, and personal life. Know what you're getting yourself into and make sure that this is 100% what you want to do.

2.  Join professional associations and organizations within your field (student rates are much cheaper!). They will provide you with great resources and professional development opportunities to get involved. In addition, go to professional conferences in your field to learn more and more importantly to network. You WILL graduate before you know it and you need to be active in your field and show your colleagues how good you are at what you do.

3.  Make friends in your program – these are your future colleagues and professionals in the field.  Once you’re employed after you graduate, it’s also great to have someone to bounce ideas off of other than a supervisor or boss – get their contact information and stay connected after graduation.  Also, depending on your field of study, some programs are more project based with more group work than others.  It can be difficult to engage in group work now that you’re probably not living on campus or connected with many other students.

4.  Be involved in class and develop positive relationships with your professors.  Your professors, much like your classmates, are your future colleagues and you’ll probably be asking them for letters of reference upon graduation.  They may also have an in somewhere once you’re looking for jobs.

5.  Complete an internship.  Many Master’s level programs require it.  If they don’t, make sure you are either working in your field already or have some kind of internship experience, whether it’s paid or unpaid (paid is preferred but be prepared for something unpaid, as most are).  You’ll need to get your foot in the door somewhere and have some kind of experience on your resume.

6.  Make sure that this is what you truly want to do.  This is a huge commitment, so make sure you at least work in the field first and understand what being a professional in this specific industry means.  Don’t invest all the time, money, and energy into something unless you really know this is for you.

7.  Choose a college for the quality of the program, not for brand name.  You are most likely paying for this college experience on your own with no help from your parents.  Now is not the time to acquire tens of thousands of dollars of debt.  Even better, try to find a job in your field of study where your employer has tuition reimbursement options available and will help you pay for your schooling.

8.  Understand that it may take more than 1-2 years to complete your program. Some programs will advertise that they are 1 or 2 year programs, but be careful. They are probably assuming you will go full-time (including summers) and are not including any kind of internship or practicum requirements in that time frame. For example, I was told my program was a 2 year program and it ended up taking me 4 years to complete it. If you are working full-time and only taking classes part-time in the evenings and weekends, it will take you longer than someone who can take 3-4 classes at a time because they are only working part-time or are unemployed.

Ultimately, graduate school is a huge investment of time, money, and energy.  Be well informed and do your research!  Please share any additional tips you have!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with the College Resource Center, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and recently received her Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/uchoosecollege

A Beginner’s Guide to Financial Aid Part I

As most parents and students are aware, if you need money to go to college then you deal with the financial aid department. These are the people that are in charge of awarding grants, scholarships, student loans, and work-study packages. Figuring out how the college determines who gets money and who doesn’t can often times seem tricky, so let’s try to look at this process in as simple a format as possible.

Now, the concept is that financial aid goes to those families who need it the most. To determine this, colleges use two factors: Cost of Attendance (COA) and Estimated Family Contribution (EFC). Then, the financial aid department uses a simple formula: COA – EFC = NEED.

Your COA is pretty straightforward. It is the cost of tuition, room & board, books, fees, transportation, and an allowance for miscellaneous fees. The COA at a college can change every year, so financial aid is recalculated every year. Remember to include all of the items I just mentioned in your budget, since that is exactly what the college is doing when figuring out your financial aid. If you forget to factor in the cost of textbooks, you may not have enough money when you head off to college in the fall.

Your EFC is a bit more complicated because the college is trying to determine how much money they think your family can afford to spend on college. Unfortunately, your EFC is never going to be as low as you would prefer (unless of course it’s $0), but it is important to know what factors impact your EFC. There are many different things that go into the calculation of your EFC, but four of the biggest influences are Parent Income, Parent Assets, Student Income, and Student Assets. We will cover all of these in more detail in future blogs, so stay tuned as we continue the posts. Other factors that can influence your EFC include the number of family members in your household, the number of students in college at the same time, the ages of each family member, and even what state you live in. If this seems complicated, plenty of other families are thinking the same thing. Much like how a CPA can help you with your taxes, a good college advisor should be able to help you understand your EFC.

The last step in the process is to determine your NEED. This is high much financial aid you may be eligible for. Let’s say for example that your college has a COA of $50,000 and your EFC is $20,000. This means your NEED is $30,000 ($50K-$20K=$30K). Now, does this mean that you’re going to get a $30,000 scholarship? Not usually. Most colleges will award you some combination of grants/scholarships (free money) and work-study/student loans (self help). Keep in mind that money you receive based on this formula is called “Need-Based Aid”. Scholarships that you get for having a really high GPA or good SAT scores are called “Merit-Based” and are awarded based on separate criteria. Even if your EFC is higher than a college’s COA, you could still receive “Merit-Based” aid (so study hard!)

Next time we’ll talk about your EFC in more detail and explore the fact that there are 2 possible EFC formulas a college could use, each with a different set of questions.

About the author: Justin Munio is a Business Development Manager and Financial Aid Consultant with College Planning Strategies, LLC. With a degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and over 3 years working in the CPS Financial Aid Department, Justin is at the forefront of the financial aid process for the families of CPS and the Toolkit.

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

Surviving the Transition from High School to College: Strategies for Success

At College Planning Strategies, LLC we understand how different high school and college really are, but many students don’t realize this until a few weeks into their freshman year.  The following are a few Strategies for Success that we share with our seniors.

1.      Make your courses count: In college there will be a lot of pre-requisite courses and many requirements to fill. If you can take one class that will count for multiple requirements, that’s the way to go. For example, an African American Literature class may count for both an English requirement and a Global Education requirement. 

2.      Declare your major by junior year:  As an underclassman, you will spend most of your time on general ed. requirements.  This is a good way for you to experience other classes and hone in on a particular major. If you are still undecided, visit the career services department.  They will help you explore career paths and your options.

3.      Contact professors to be admitted:  If you’re registering for a course and suddenly realize it’s full, you may need to contact the professor. Usually professors have the authority to add you into a class even if it’s full. You can do this by sending an e-mail or visiting the professor during office hours.

4.      Start studying early:  If you know a particular class or professor is going to be difficult, start studying early! This way, you’ll avoid some stress down the road as well as some potential all-nighters.

5.      Mix easy and hard courses:  Try to be cognizant about scheduling a balance of easy and hard courses each semester.  It might be tempting to fill your schedule with four or five really easy courses, but next semester is likely to be an absolute nightmare.

6.      Think about academic strengths and weaknesses:  By now I would hope that you know a little bit about yourself and how you learn. You should know what you’re good at and what your weaknesses are, so try to choose courses based on these strengths and weaknesses.  If you are not strong in writing, don’t take a course where you are only evaluated based only on 3 papers you write during the semester.

7.      Stay on top of the registration process:  The registration process at some schools can be a nightmare, so plan for this in advance. You need to make sure that you stay on top of all deadlines and have back-up classes in case the ones you are trying to get into are full.  Make sure that there are no time conflicts, and make sure to see which courses are only offered in the fall or only in the spring.

8.      Check in with your advisor each semester:  I can’t stress this enough.  Your advisor is there to help you stay on track, graduate on time, and answer your questions. They are a very valuable resource for you, so make sure that you check in at least once a semester.

9.      Find a study-buddy: You’ll want to find at least one classmate who you can trade contact info with.  This way if case you miss a class, you will have someone you can contact to find out what happened. Doing homework with someone else can also be a great motivator for getting your work completed, especially if the homework is particularly difficult.

I hope that these tips will help you recent high school graduates in making a plan to stay on track in college.  For current college students or college grads, what worked well for you?  If you have any additional tips for incoming freshman, share them in the comments!

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Laura Guarino is the Student Services Coordinator with College Planning Strategies, LLC. Laura has a degree in Human Development from Boston College and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in School Guidance Counseling.  She is also enrolled in a certificate program in College Admissions Counseling.  Laura is at the forefront of the college admissions process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track™ Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/ourcollegeplan

“Tales from the Financial Aid Department”

Working in the Financial Aid Department of a private college advisory firm for the past 3 years, I have had the task of helping families complete all manner of financial aid applications. FAFSA, CSS/Profile, and Institutional Forms; you name it and I’ve done it.

When families think of the many different financial aid applications needed, there are usually two schools of thought. Either “these forms are very difficult to understand and require the help of a professional” (this is where I come in) or “these forms are incredibly simple; only a fool could mess them up”. Well, when I hear the latter opinion I get nervous. Unless you’ve worked in a college financial aid office, private college planning firm, or the guidance office of a high school, assuming that these forms are simple might be a costly mistake.

I recently spoke with one such family who was concerned when they had not yet heard from their daughter’s first choice college about financial aid. They had done their own applications and were worried because May 1^st was just around the bend and they had to make a decision. I suggested they call the financial aid office to find out what the hold up was. The answer they got back was not one I expected.

Apparently in the course of doing their own applications, their daughter had somehow been marked as “homeless or emancipated” (of which she was neither). The college, in an effort to verify this designation, mailed home forms for the family to fill out and send back. In addition, the college was withholding all financial aid until the daughter was either proven or disproven to be homeless.

Knowing their daughter was in fact not homeless, the family ignored these forms. By the time this phone call occurred, the deadline for financial aid had come and gone. The college’s financial aid for that year had been allocated elsewhere, leaving nothing for this family. The end result was an expensive bill for the first year of college.

The message here is simple. Be careful! You should read the fine print and review each application carefully before submission. Above is just one of many mistakes that can be easily made. If you’re not confident that you can complete all manner of financial aid applications, then ask for help. It’s really no different than seeking help from a CPA with your taxes, and can save you money on your college bills if done correctly.

About Smart Track™ Toolkit: The toolkit is a web based service that assists families with everything from admissions and test prep, to student athletics and financial aid. Our intuitive software and on-demand workshops are key components to making sure students find their top choice colleges, and families can afford to send them there.

About the author: Justin Munio is a Business Development Manager and Financial Aid Consultant with College Planning Strategies, LLC. With a degree in mathematics from SUNY Geneseo and over 3 years working in the CPS Financial Aid Department, Justin is at the forefront of the financial aid process for the families of CPS and The Smart Track Toolkit.

Connect with us

http://www.facebook.com/smarttracktoolkit

http://twitter.com/ourcollegeplan

"How Did a College Education Help Shape Your Future?" Answer and WIN!!!

Contest Details: 
Parents! Win a Smart Track Toolkit™ Personal College Funding Tool or consultation with a College Planning Specialist by answering the question "How did a college education help shape your future?"                                                                                                                  

Prize Details:
Win a free personal college planning funding tool valued at over $400 or private planning session with a College Planning Specialist.

Prize Option 1: Smart Track Toolkit™ Personal College Funding Tool!

• Access to our intuitive financial aid software platform
• Ability to submit state and private college financial aid forms
• Financial Aid Award and Appeals Online Workshop
• Federal Financial Aid and Tax Programs Online Workshop

Prize Option 2: One on One College Planning Session!

• 1/2 Hour private session via phone with a College Planning Specialist

 How to Win!   

1. "LIKE" this blog (above contest details at beginning of blog)

2. "RECOMMEND" our page (click like below near Smart Track Toolkit™)

3. "COMMENT" on "How did a college education shape your future?"
(below at Post a Comment section)


***NOTE***  If you are commenting and DO NOT have a Blogger account, Gmail account, etc, you can simply choose the Anonymous drop down and simply leave your name in the comment.  We'll then find you on Facebook to contact you if you are the winner!

Timeline: Contest starts Tuesday March 30th and ends April 13th.
Winners will be contacted directly.


Good Luck!
www.OurCollegePlan.Com

www.SmartTrackToolKit.com
www.facebook.com/collegeplanningstrategies

Taking SAT & ACT Prep Courses

The SAT and ACT are difficult tests and doing well on them can be painstaking, but reaching your maximum score shouldn’t be. Our online prep courses contain everything you need to quickly improve your skills and build your confidence on both the SAT and the ACT exams.  Each course features engaging, expert  and personalized instruction, available to you 24/7 through on-demand videos and interactive lessons.

Why do these courses work?

Expert Tutors available to you whenever and wherever - day or night, at home or on the road. It’s like having your own private tutor right next to you, guiding your progress every step of the way. These courses were designed by Princeton graduates, so you know they have what it takes to do well on the SAT and the ACT.
Real test conditions are proven to make learning more effective. Download and print a practice exam, take it under timed conditions, and you'll be better prepared to ace that exam! This type of studying is far more effective than taking a miniature practice exam on the computer.

Detailed video reviews are available for every exam you take. Better than just reading about the correct answer, these videos show you the correct answer and help you identify your mistakes. This is what is referred to as the showing vs. telling difference. Students agree: this is way better than just reading about the right answer in a book.

Proven results! These courses are designed to build your vocabulary, strengthen your confidence, and give you the tools you need to ace those standardized exams.

Click here to view the details and get started today!

www.OurCollegePlan.Com

www.SmartTrackToolKit.com
www.facebook.com/collegeplanningstrategies

Your Roadmap to College Success

College Planning Strategies, LLC recognizes that the needs of each family—and for that matter, the needs of each student—are different. Therefore, we developed the flexible Smart Track Series of personalized in-depth services. Our highly trained team of advisors and support staff are up-to-date on the pressing issues related to preparing your student for college and a successful graduation. We can help guide you step-by-stepthrough the obstacles that may hinder your student’s college dreams: potential job loss, college funding issues, choosing the right school, admissions challenges, financial aid and scholarships, changes in educational loans, and a variety of other serious issues that today’s families must face.

Student Support Services

For many students, applying to college is a stressful process. There are so many things to do, so many deadlines to meet and new information to learn. We will guide you and your student step-by-step through the college search and application process and be there to answer all of your questions.

Our workshops help with everything from career exploration, to college search and visits, to acing the college admissions interviews. We help your student clarify his or her goals, overcome insecurities, and make the best impression possible. This will help them gain admission to their top choice colleges, receive merit scholarships, and obtain jobs and other opportunities. We’ll also give the whole family important college planning tips that will help eliminate family conflict, save you time and money, and keep you on track so you can sleep well, knowing nothing has been forgotten.

Does your student need help with admissions essays? Our professional essay editors will make suggestions on how to show off their best qualities without losing their own voice. Our editors will not only catch grammatical and spelling errors, but help them communicate in a compelling way.

Customized College Planning

One of our professional college planners will work with you to analyze your family’s unique situation, goals and current strategy for handling college expenses—even if that means “one semester at a time.” After analyzing your current situation, we will help you develop a plan for moving forward. We will help you uncover ways ofreducing your out-of-pocket college costs.  This encompasses maximizing financial aid possibilities, choosing schools that are more likely to award your student grants and scholarships, utilizing tax-favored dollars, and several additional strategies.

If your family will need to borrow money to help pay for college expenses, we will assess for you variousborrowing strategies and recommend the best loan types and repayment options for your situation.

After a few sessions you will have a customized plan of action charting your course through each year you will have at least one student in college. In addition to the written plan, our entire team of professionals will be here to guide you each step of the way through regular consultations, phone conversations, and email support. We will make sure your college plan adjusts with each curve that life brings, whether positive or negative.

Financial Aid Assistance

There are literally billions of dollars available in both merit and need-based assistance. In order to receive most of it, however, the proper paperwork must be submitted correctly and punctually. This can include, but is not limited to the FAFSA, CSS/Profile, Institutional forms, and Business/Farm Supplement. In order to maximize your awards there is a lot you would need to learn, especially if you have your own business or special circumstances. Many of these forms are considered longer and more complicated than the federal tax forms. Similar to taxes, it often pays to have advice on how tolower your expenses, not to mention reduce the hassle and stress of this process for you!

Our Financial Aid Specialists will tackle all of your financial aid paperwork including the FAFSA, CCS/Profile, Institutional forms, and Business/Farm Supplement. We’ll ensure all paperwork is done accurately and on-time so you don’t miss outon any aid you deserve.

Our Financial Aid Specialists will tackle all of your financial aid paperwork including the FAFSA, CCS/Profile, Institutional forms, and Business/Farm Supplement. We’ll ensure all paperwork is done accurately and on-time so you don’t miss outon any aid you deserve

You’ll want to know if your award is a fair one or if your case is strong enough to risk appealing for more aid. Our experts will evaluate your case, and if your situation warrants an appeal, we will walk you step by step through this delicate process. We have found the appeals process is more of an art than a science. However, our statistics are astounding: 8 out of 10 appeals we guide are awarded more money!

If your family will need additional loans to cover college expenses, we also help you select the most advantageous loan(s) for your family’s situation

Test Preparation

CPS has partnered with leading test preparation companies to provide programs that can fit into almost any schedule or budget. They are not only educational and effective, but fun! This is a unique study program that offers the benefits of private tutoring at only a fraction of the cost of most test preparation courses, and is available for the standard SAT and ACT as well as for SAT Subject Tests in Math Level I and Level II.

Since the SAT and ACT do not administer their tests online, it is critical the student practice in the same pencil-paper environment they will experience on test day. We provide you with online access to printable practice tests for home practice. The student completes a practice section offline under timed conditions; the student logs in and submits answers for electronic grading; and, finally, the student launches into a self-guided video review of the practice test problems they had difficulty with or have questions about. There is even a vocabulary builder available. Studies show that this interactive video delivery platform makes learning 200% more effective than text-based learning, and results are guaranteed.

College Planning Strategies
www.OurCollegePlan.Com
www.SmartTrackToolKit.com
www.facebook.com/collegeplanningstrategies

Are You On the Smart Track?

In the United States the average four-year college education costs between $90,513 and $181,025. However, did you know that statistically a higher percentage of students require over 5 years to complete their undergraduate studies? Are you and your student(s) ready for the challenge?

Top 5 College Planning Questions

1. Have you learned the proven techniques of how to pay for college without jeopardizing your own retirement?

2. Are you confident your student is on target with selecting and being admitted to the best fit college for him or her?

3. Did you research which colleges are most likely to award your student a higher percentage of Gift Aid (scholarships or grants)? If so, do you know how to ensure the award is renewable throughout their college tenure?

4. Have you discovered how to provide yourself with a "tax scholarship" from Uncle Sam, above and beyond the Hope Scholarship and Lifetime Learning Credit? When it is best to use funds earmarked for college and when it is not? How relatives including grandparents can help with college expenses without negatively impacting your students' award?

5. Does your current college plan cover ALL of the years that you will have at least one student enrolled and ensure you won't have an unmanageable cash flow crunch?


College Planning Saves Money

Taking college funding "one year at a time" will likely be an expensive mistake. Planning for college in this fashion will usually cost a family thousands more than if you had developed a plan for all students and all years before your first student has even chosen their college or enrolled. Even worse than wasted money, many families who plan this way find themselves in a cash flow crisis midway through their student's college career. According to a recent report approximately 50% of the students that drop out of college do so for financial reasons.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, many families that started saving when or even before their first child was born may believe they have a fail-proof plan for affording a college education and do not investigate their options further. What many of these families do not realize is that they could save themselves thousands of dollars, perhaps tens of thousands of dollars per student if they understood the various proven college planning strategies that may apply to them.

Student Positioning for College Is Key

Some students are self-motivated and know exactly what their goals are and the best way to achieve them. Most students need some guidance and encouragement in choosing a college, applying for admission, and choosing a major. Sometimes parents, teachers, and the guidance office can provide all of the support they need to be successful. However, students frequently find it helpful to have outside support to keep them on track—especially if time is limited or communication is strained between certain parties.

Helping Families Stay On the Smart Track for College

Since the turn of the century College Planning Strategies, LLC has specialized in giving individualized help to families like yours so they can effectively transition from high school to college and beyond. CPS also educates families on how to defeat the high cost of college through workshops, radio talk shows, corporate benefits programs and a national on-line series of workshops. Our president, Murray J. Miller, is a published author with over 20 years of experience as a financial advisor and educator. He was ranked Number One College Advisor in the Nation in 2006 and 2008.
Our highly trained team of advisors and support staff has earned an A+ Rating from the Better Business Bureau. We can help guide you step-by-step through the obstacles that may hinder your student’s college dreams: potential job loss, college funding issues, choosing the right school, admissions challenges, financial aid and scholarships, changes in educational loans, and a variety of other serious issues that today’s families must face.

Let CPS help you support your student’s educational goals without delaying or giving up your goals for your own retirement!

College Planning Strategies
www.OurCollegePlan.Com
www.SmartTrackToolKit.com
www.facebook.com/collegeplanningstrategies