Blog | Capstone Wealth Partners - Financial Planning for College-Bound Families

Jul 30

Paying for College: 5 Steps to Take Control

In Ohio alone, there are 1,733,600 student loan borrowers owing approximately $60 billion in debt. The average borrower owes $34,600. These numbers don't lie - it's clear that paying for college is at a real crisis point, but hardly anyone seems to have a solution. Researchers, professionals, and reporters only... read more →

Jul 23

Delayed: Which FAFSA Changes Got Postponed

The Federal Government might actually be listening to us…and we’re not talking about conspiracy theories here! We’re talking about our stance against the latest FAFSA changes, which we believe could jeopardize the financial health of countless American families. We wrote at length about this major development at the beginning of the... read more →

Jul 16

How Does a Gap Year Affect Financial Aid?

A gap year is a period of time when a student suspends schooling in order to explore the world through work, volunteering, and/or travel. Often a gap year is taken between high school and college, although it can be taken during college or even after college graduation. Students use this time... read more →

Jul 09

The Smart Parent’s Guide to Preparing for College

Updated July 2021 With college being one of the most rapidly-increasing expenses in modern America, it can be pretty daunting to look at the financial planning needed. Even affluent families have plenty of preparation to do before the kids go off to college. The pressures may be less acute but you'll still... read more →

Jun 25

College Visits

Summertime, a great time for reading a book and going to the pool, and now that the country is opening back up, it's also a great time for families to work college visits into their summer travel plans. Some colleges are having full visits, some are doing in-person, by appointment... read more →

Jun 18

Cosigning for Student Loans

When talking about paying for college, student loans almost always need to be a part of the conversation. Not too many of us can afford $25,000 (or more!) every year to pay for college out of our pockets or our savings. The go-to, first-choice, place for student loans is the... read more →

Jun 11

Finding Private Scholarships: Is It Worth It?

When parents think of paying for college, they think of scholarships. They often hear stories about students winning full rides, or applying for a range of unusual private scholarships that accumulate to cover a notable chunk of tuition. However, parents and students need to understand the reality and develop a... read more →

Jun 04

Borrowing to pay for college: Options for parents

Your student has made a college choice. You have accounted for all your savings, cash flow, scholarship, and grant options. And you discover you still haven’t covered all the costs. You have a funding gap. Student loans and borrowing to pay for college will have to be a part of... read more →

May 21

Calculating the Cost of College

Can you imagine going to the grocery store and not being able to tell how much a gallon of milk will cost until after the cashier scans it and tells you the price? Unfortunately, this is often the case when high school juniors apply for college. The cost of college... read more →

May 14

How Can Students Help Pay for College

With the price tag of a college education reaching higher levels every year, students will have a very hard time shouldering the entire cost burden all by themselves--unlike 30 years ago. However, students can help pay for college by putting in some work both ahead of college and during school.... read more →