Paying For College

Financial planning is a key step in the college admissions process.

The cost of college is daunting for many families. We believe that an analysis of college costs should be factored into the early stages of planning for college, and so we guide families in the following ways:

• Explain how to determine eligibility for need-based financial aid using net-price calculators.
• Provide a tool for the family to project their annual budget and decide how much they wish to allocate for college costs.
• Develop a college list that includes affordable options in line with family preferences.
• Discuss the pros and cons of taking on parent or student loans to pay for college.
• Evaluate the likelihood that the student will qualify for merit awards (scholarships) based on grades, test scores or special talents.
• Assist parents in defining what value in a college education means to them, and discuss the cost/benefit of the colleges under consideration throughout the process.

FINANCIAL AID: FAFSA and CSS Profile

We support families to:

• Review the process and timeline for applying for financial aid
• Provide reminders when it is time to initiate the financial aid process.
• Provide key questions to determine if applying for aid makes sense
• Explain how to apply for loans but not aid if appropriate
• Answer questions and provide resources for common questions about completing forms and how to avoid common mistakes

 Although we guide families in answering key questions about completing the forms, we do not fill out the forms for families.