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 →

May 06

How can your student gain valuable career experience and earn a free ride to college?

Has your student been struggling to decide what they want to do after they graduate high school? They're not alone. Only 45% of high school students surveyed recently said they felt confident about their college or career readiness. For some, looking into military service may be a good option to... read more →

Apr 28

Is it Smart to use your Retirement Funds or Home Equity to Pay for College?

Paying the high cost of college requires a multi-pronged strategy. For most families, a 529 plan on its own is not enough to cover the out of pocket expense of college. They simply can't save enough in a 529 to cover it all. The number of years to save for... read more →

Apr 23

529 Myths Prevent Understanding of This College Savings Tool

In America today, only 78% of families with children are saving for college and only 48% of those surveyed are saving are using a 529 plan to do it! The truth is that 529 plans can be an excellent tool to save for college, and they can help parents not... read more →

Apr 16

Are you saving enough for college?

The month of April is financial literacy month. We are spending time with this blog post, and our upcoming events, focusing on financial literacy in the realm of saving for college - a goal that many families are working toward! Many people may not be excited about this, but we are... read more →

Apr 02

Paying for College: Working Together to Avoid Heartbreak

Every year, we hear the same heart-breaking stories from parents, many of whom have never connected with Capstone Wealth Partners before. Their senior high school student is making the final decision about where to go to college. They are shocked by the prices of the schools who accepted their child,... read more →

April 2, 2021
Joe Messinger, CFP®
College, College Planning, Financial Planning

Mar 26

Choosing a College: Weighing the Return on Education

We often hear the words "return on investment." We use those words ourselves all the time. When you invest, you expect a certain return or increase in the value of the amount you invested over a period of time. College should be viewed in the same way. Your family is... read more →