Educational Funding Solutions

admin — Mon, 27 Jul 2009 16:39:42 +0000

SAVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME MONEY!

Workshop Sign Up

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 06:15:04 +0000

[contact-form] SAVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME MONEY!

Success Calendar

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:58:30 +0000

We’ll share with you our Success Calendar so you can control the chaos, confusion, emotions, and paperwork blizzard associated with applying for admissions and financial aid prior to and during college.

FRESHMAN YEAR

Determine Expected Family Contribution (EFC) and plan accordingly for savings/realignment of spending.
Begin school and community activities for student resume.
Take career interest tests to begin selecting majors.

SOPHOMORE YEAR

Collect information on different colleges and majors of interest.
Begin a college scholarship resource file if justified by Expected Family Contribution (EFC).
Take PSAT (if ready) and determine which colleges need SAT II’s and take tests after each course completed.

JUNIOR YEAR (Note: The College Funding BASE YEAR begins January 1 during your Junior year)

October: Take PSAT. Research amounts of money given at each college.
November: Continue collecting information on colleges. Develop plan for maximum financial aid.
December: Finalize asset structuring. Last chance to implement.
January: BEGIN BASE YEAR for financial aid. Make NO financial changes without a new Expected Family Contribution (EFC) impact analysis!
February: Register for next SAT and ACT. Study for tests and take prep courses, if needed.
March through May: Make use of Websites to review colleges. Write to admissions offices to request entrance and scholarship info. Discuss college selections with your guidance counselor. Repeat SAT I, if needed.
Summer: Determine “safety schools” (colleges which accept 75% or more of applicants like you) and “stretch schools” (accept less than 50% of applicants like you) based on GPA and test scores. Investigate/visit each school. Go online and review essay questions on last year’s applications for potential colleges.

SENIOR YEAR (This is IT!!!)

September & October: Update college choices based on research. Complete and mail admissions applications — minimum of 6-8 applications and essays. Assume deadline of between November 1 and December 1 for most colleges. Last chance to take SAT I. Watch financial aid deadline dates for each college!
November & December: Prepare and electronically file or mail CSS Profile, if needed. Complete college institutional financial aid applications.
January: File FAFSA electronically. Complete and send off any other financial aid applications.
February: Send a copy of prior year’s federal tax return to each school, if requested.
March – April: Review acceptances and aid offers. Compare each college’s award package. Send admission acceptance and financial aid offer acceptance to schools.
May: Send appeal letters and negotiate with colleges. Choose THE college and notify those you’re not interested in. Send a deposit. Begin scholarship research for next year, if using.
June: Apply for loans, then take a deep breath, and get ready to begin the whole process over again in September!

COLLEGE YEARS

September: Interview for on-campus jobs.
January: File Renewal FAFSA electronically. Complete and send federal taxes to school, if requested.
April-May: Review aid offers. Negotiate, if appropriate. Sign and return renewal award letters. Remember that award packages can change dramatically from year to year! Don’t automatically assume you’ll get the same deal you did the year before!

SAVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME MONEY!

Testimonials

admin — Thu, 16 Jul 2009 05:43:19 +0000

No need to change your lifestyle . . .

“Coming up with $38,000 for our son’s first year at Notre Dame was very stressful and added to our monthly financial burden. Your “cash flow” solution for his remaining years was incredible. We don’t have to change our lifestyle at all, add to our existing monthly cash outflow or tap into our retirement. This is amazing! How do we thank you?”

- Rachael, from Newbury Park

Don’t sacrifice your retirement . . .

“After executing your “cash flow college affordability” solution, my wife and I are so relieved that we can send our daughters to college without sacrificing our retirement. We just might be able to afford those two weddings you talked about! Thanks again for all your help.”
- Roger, from Thousand Oaks

Changing tax custodian increases aid . . .

Thank you for saving our family $13,230 per year in college costs! My ex had been claiming our son because it saved him more in taxes. I’m self-employed and make less. Per EFS, I became the tax custodian during college years, and our son didn’t apply to any Profile colleges that would have combined the parents’ income and assets. We also sheltered my assets and my son’s assets so they are not included in the Expected Family Contribution (EFC). These steps reduced our EFC and made us eligible for Cal Grants, college grants and subsidized FFEL loans!
- Ramona, ftom Camarillo

Mastering the “The Maze” . . .

“The college funding “MAZE” that you talked about at your workshop is certainly a lot easier when you have a professional company helping you through it. Thanks for being there for us.”
- Kathy, from Simi Valley

Great job . . .

“After seeing what you came up with as a solution for us to afford to send our kids to college, we wonder why parents are not lined up outside your offices. Great Job!”
- Jim, from in Westlake Village

Offer exceeds need . . .

“Our daughter received an aid offer that exceeded her “need.” We had an Expected Family Contribution of over $16,000. Our daughter had worked hard and had great grades, as well as a good SAT I score and a major that made her very desirable to the college. To entice her to choose their school, the financial aid offered by the college put the total out-of-pocket cost to her parents at $10,000 – over $6,000 per year in savings! One of the secrets is that this very respected college is considered a 2nd Tier school and is not what Linda calls a ‘name brand’. She says it’s a good example of what can happen if the student picks the right colleges.
- Marianne, from Thousand Oaks

What a relief . . .

“Our retirement is very important to us. Your college affordability solution gave us the opportunity to send our two sons to the college of their choice without having to tap into our retirement. What a relief! Thanks.”
- Angie, from Moorpark, CA

Paying for college without financial aid . . .

“When we went to your workshop and heard you say that we could send our daughter to college without relying on financial aid, we were confused to say the least. After having you share your solution with us, we now understand what you meant. We didn’t think we were eligible for any type of aid, so your solution was a pleasant surprise. Thank you.”
- Chris, from Agoura Hills

Potential Scholarships from Private Colleges . . .

“We still can’t believe that our daughter received an offer of $10,000 per year for 4 years at one of the “Seven Sisters” schools – elite private women’s colleges. The irony of the story is that we didn’t even know about this college until we started working with EFS, and our daughter was “positive” she wouldn’t be accepted. It turned out to be one of the most financially viable of all her colleges. I guess the moral of the story is to research all possible schools with your major and to apply even if you don’t think you have a chance for admission!”
- Jeff, from Woodland Hills

SAVE YOUR FRIENDS SOME MONEY!