College-bound families should ask three questions, and they go hand in hand with one another…Where can we get in? Where can we get aid? What schools can we actually afford?
We’ll start with a disclaimer—we have no magic wand to waive on how to “show the love” to your favorite college. Besides academic criteria, every university pays attention to different things when they are looking at candidates. But one thing is clear, colleges want to extend acceptance letters, and potentially more generous scholarship offers, to those students who most want to go to their school. So what are some ways to show you are interested?
A new college application is coming your way – Is the Coalition a wonderful new tool or a marketing ploy?
College-bound students are familiar with the Common Application, used by over 600 universities and colleges to apply for admission. Recently a small group of 80 elite and selective schools have announced their launching of the Coalition for Access, Affordability, and Success with their own unique application. So far the list of schools are the heavy hitters with the deep pockets and clout. What does this mean for the college admission process? More importantly, what does this mean for YOU?!
At Capstone, we share ideas and create college funding plans with parents so their future college graduate does not suffer with an excessive student loan debt load. We are always trying to be proactive. However, we are often asked “what can I do now?” when the being proactive ship has sailed, and a graduate has their first job. All too often, graduates are faced with large debt balances. Their income is modest. They feel overwhelmed. Just this week a graduate asked us what she could do so here are some tips we like to share.
The birth of your child is not just the big day when you become a parent, but also the big day when your parents become grandparents! Grandma and Grandpa may want to spoil their little ones in every way possible. And if you are lucky, spoiling includes saving for their college education. So what are the do’s and don’ts for grandparents who want to help financially with college and don’t want to hurt your student’s chances for need-based financial aid?
A recent article from Columbus Business First caught our eye last week and was shared by many different people across social media…Ohio State ACT scores set another record – and are a far cry from a decade ago. The average ACT scores for incoming Ohio State freshmen was 28.9, a far cry from the 22.8 from 1995. These kind of increases in test scores are being seen in many colleges—not just Ohio State. So we paused for a moment and wondered…What is the driving force behind this increase in test scores at our colleges? Are our kids getting smarter?
The flood of politicians has begun. The presidential race is heating up and all the candidates are on their soapboxes pledging to lower college costs and solve the student loan debt crisis in America. We decided to throw our hat in the ring. Our campaign promise…to end the student loan debt crisis one family at a time!
Parents, do you remember filling out your college application? You probably used a pencil or typewriter (a what?) to fill out the paper application from your school or schools of choice. You mailed them in and then you waited. Today as with everything else in our lives, the process is automated (not a surprise). The Common Application, referred to in its shortened form as the Common App, has changed the way students are applying to college, and we have some things you need to know.
In early June of 2015, the Department of Education announced revised Federal Need Analysis Methodology to determine a student’s EFC for the 2016/17 award year. The result is not good news for middle class families hoping to receive need-based aid! We haven’t seen much in the media about this topic so we at Capstone wanted to make sure you have the information you need to “Know before you go!”
We all know universities come in different flavors – state schools/ivy leagues, privates/publics, colleges/universities, etc. And we know the different types have different admission standards your student needs to meet in order to get into them. We also are VERY aware of the different price tags for each. A four year in state university currently costs around $19,000 per year and a four year private college around $42,000 according to “Trends in College Pricing 2014” published by the College Board.
What you might not be fully aware of though is schools do NOT award financial aid in the same way from school to school.
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Capstone Wealth Partners is a fee-only independent Registered Investment Advisor in Columbus, Ohio. We are financial planners for college-bound families.
The Capstone Blog offers up our best ideas on how to save and pay for college, all while staying on track for a confident retirement.
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